ifflmortam 

t  J. 


REV.  R.  J.  COTTER,  D.  0. 


BIOGRAPHY 


EZRA    CORNELL, 


FOUNDER  OF  THE 


CORNELL    UNIVERSITY. 


'gilml 


NEW    YORK : 
A.  S.  BARNES  &  COMPANY. 

1884. 


COPYRIGHT  BY 
A.  S.  BARNES  &  CO. 

1884 


I 

J 


CO 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER, 

WHOSE   AFFECTIONATE   DEVOTION,    FRUGAL    ECONOMY,  WISE  COUNSEL, 

PATIENT    FIDELITY  AND   CHEERFUL    BEARING 

CONTRIBUTED    SO   MUCH 

TO   THE 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

RECORDED     HEREIN, 

THIS  VOLUME  IS  DEDICATED 

AS  A  TRIBUTE  OF 
FILIAL  GRATITUDE  AND  REVERENCE. 


PREFACE. 


FOR  several  years  it  has  been  the  author's  de- 
sire that  a  suitable  biography  of  the  FOUNDER  OF 
THE  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY  should  be  prepared  by 
another,  whose  cultured  pen  would  invest  the 
work  with  that  degree  of  interest  to  which  the 
subject  is  so  worthily  entitled.  Exacting  duties 
have,  however,  delayed  such  an  undertaking,  and 
still  prevent  any  reasonable  promise  of  its  early 
consummation.  Mainly  for  the  purpose  of  placing 
the  material  in  form  for  safe  preservation  for  future 
use,  this  simple  record  of  the  leading  incidents  of 
his  earnest  life  and  untiring  labors  has  been  pre- 
pared, which,  it  is  hoped,  may  hereafter  serve  as 
a  text-book  of  facts  requisite  for  the  more  inter- 
esting treatment  of  the  subject  by  other  and  abler 
hands.  Prepared  originally  for  private  use,  it  is 
realized  that  the  work  is  deficient  of  any  literary 
merit  which  would  justify  its  publication,  and  that 


vi  PREFACE. 

course  has  finally  been  taken  only  at  the  urgent 
solicitation  of  interested  friends. 

Time  has  already  largely  depleted  the  ranks  of 
those  familiar  with  the  early  history  of  the  tele- 
graph enterprise  in  America,  and  but  few  now  re- 
main with  us  who  participated  in  the  pioneer  work 
with  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  in- 
timately associated.  Viewed  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  wonderful  development  of  the  telegraph  at 
the  present  day,  the  many  interesting  incidents 
which  attended  the  earlier  efforts  to  place  this 
novel  invention  on  a  substantial  foundation,  pos- 
sess much  of  the  interest  of  romance.  The  ad- 
mirable and  intelligent  foresight,  the  energetic 
labors,  the  untiring  perseverance,  and  the  unwav- 
ering faith  which  distinguished  the  efforts  of  this 
courageous  pioneer,  contending  with  the  vigorous 
antagonisms  of  rival  interests,  afford  a  lesson  well 
calculated  to  encourage  the  endeavors  of  others, 
who  find  themselves  confronted  and  embarrassed 
by  obstacles  which  endanger  the  success  of  cher- 
ished ambitions  or  objects. 

Personal  incidents  and  characteristics  have  been 
made  the  subject  of  more  detailed  reference  than 
may  perhaps  interest  the  general  reader.  Con- 
sidering the  nature  of  the  work  as  planned  in  its 


PREFACE.  vii 

original  design,  it  was  deemed  best,  however,  to 
canvass  these  features  more  definitely,  to  enable 
future  students  of  the  Founder's  unselfish  labors 
the  better  to  appreciate  the  true  character  of  the 
man.  Whatever  may  hereafter  be  written  of  him 
will,  with  entire  propriety,  deal  more  particularly 
with  reference  to  his  great  services  in  the  cause 
of  education.  It  has  seemed  better,  therefore, 
that  the  present  effort  should  treat  of  his  individ- 
uality with  all  necessary  completeness,  especially 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  writer  is  more  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  his  whole  career  than  others 
can  be,  who  are  likely  to  take  part  in  future  con- 
tributions to  the  subject. 

Much  space,  relatively,  has  been  given  in  these 
pages  to  the  subject  of  the  Cornell  Library,  from 
the  fact  that  it  is  believed  to  have  been  the  influence 
of  this  undertaking  on  the  mind  of  the  Founder, 
as  the  work  progressed,  which  in  large  measure 
prepared  the  way  for  his  subsequent  course. 
Wider  interest  will  doubtless  incline  to  the  greater 
project  which  engrossed  so  much  of  his  philan- 
thropic efforts.  His  great  endeavors  to  establish 
on  the  most  enduring  basis  the  great  educational 
institution  which  has  already  attained  such  emi- 
nence, cannot  fail  to  interest  all  who  contemplate 


vin  PREFACE. 

them.  The  limit  of  this  work  has,  necessarily, 
confined  treatment  of  the  University  to  the  merest 
outline  of  the  circumstances  leading  to  its  endow- 
ment and  organization,  with  a  brief  reference  to  its 
subsequent  development.  This  deficiency,  how- 
ever, is  of  less  importance,  from  the  fact  that 
information  respecting  the  institution  is  readily 
available  to  all  who  may  have  occasion  to  de- 
sire it 

A.  B.  c. 
NEW  YORK,  January,  1884. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

ANCESTRY. 

PAGE 

Puritan  Origin — Friends  or  Quaker  Ancestry — Elijah  Cornell  born, 
1771 — His  Father's  early  Death — Apprenticed  to  Potter's  Trade, 
1791 — Eunice  Barnard  born,  1788 — Marriage,  1805 — Marriage 
Certificate — Located  in  Westchester — Loss  of  Vessel — Removal  to 
De  Ruyter,  1807 — Friends'  Meeting  in  Quaker  Basin — Return  to 
Westchester,  1810 — Removal  to  New  Jersey,  1817 — Close  of  War 
prostrates  Business — Return  to  De  Ruyter,  1819 17 

CHAPTER   IL 

PIONEER  LIFE. 

A  Winter  Journey  from  New  Jersey  to  De  Ruyter — Discomforts  of 
Early  Travel — Contrast  with  Present  Facilities — Pioneer  Life — 
Primitive  Agriculture — Scarcity  of  Market — Establishing  a  Pottery 
— Advantages  of  Diversified  Industries — Removal  to  Ithaca,  1841 
— Personal  Characteristics — Death  of  Wife  and  Mother — Severe 
Bereavement — Christian  Character — Long  and  Useful  Life — Large 
Number  of  Worthy  Descendants 27 

CHAPTER  IIL 

BIRTH,    CHILDHOOD,    AND  YOUTH. 

Birth  of  Ezra  Cornell,  1807 — Vigorous  Constitution — Obedient  Child- 
hood— Active  and  Studious — Anxiety  to  Attend  School — Supe- 


x  CONTENTS. 

PACK 

rior  Scholarship — Meagre  Educational  Advantages — Mechanical 
Tastes — Assists  building  Pottery — Erecting  Dwelling — Surprising 
Success — Ambition  for  Self-support — Seeking  Employment — 
Syracuse  a  mere  Hamlet — Employment  at  Homer — Visiting  Home 
— Decides  to  Locate  at  Ithaca — Early  Advantages  of  the  Village — 
On  Foot  to  Ithaca — Worthy  Ambition 38 

CHAPTER   IV. 

EARLY   MANHOOD. 

Employment  at  Ithaca,  1828 — Ira  Tillotson — Bloodgood  House — Bap- 
tist Church — Otis  Eddy — Cotton  Factory — Repairing  Beebe's 
Mill — Continued  Employment  with  Colonel  Beebe,  1829  to  1841 
— Mechanical  Skill — Fall  Creek  Tunnel — Beebe  Dam — Lifelong 
Friendship  with  Colonel  Beebe — Improving  Schools — Influence  in 
Local  Affairs — Political  Action — Hard  Cider  Campaign — "Tip- 
pecanoe  and  Tyler  too  " — Death  of  President  Harrison — Loss  of 
Employment — Looking  Abroad 47 

CHAPTER  V. 

MARRIAGE. 

Elijah  Cornell  and  Benjamin  Wood — A  Prolonged  Friendship — Nota- 
ble Visit — "Woodlawn" — Mary  Ann  Wood  born,  1811 — Mar- 
riage Engagement — Married,  March  19,  1831 — Housekeeping — 
Early  Home — Nine  Children,  of  whom  Five  Survive — Quaker 
Discipline — Telegraph  Enterprise — Absence  from  Home — Success 
in  Business — "  Forest  Park  " — Domestic  Felicity 59 

CHAPTER   VI. 

SEEKING   BUSINESS. 

Financial  Crisis,  1837 — Business  Prostration — Out  of  Employment — 
Barnaby  and  Mooers'  Patent  Plow — Trip  to  Maine,  1842 — Hon.  F. 
O.  J.  Smith — First  Acquaintance — Visits  Georgia — Fifteen  Hun- 


CONTENTS.  xi 


PAGE 


dred  Miles  on  Foot — Return  Home — Second  Visit  to  Maine Re- 
newal of  Acquaintance — A  Peculiar  Machine  Wanted — The  Tele- 
graph— A  New  Invention — First  Meeting  with  Professor  Morse — 
Successful  Experiment — Engagement  in  Telegraph  Enterprise — 
Proceeds  to  New  York — Criticising  Imperfect  Pipe — Warning 
Unheeded 69 

CHAPTER  VIL 

EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  TELEGRAPH. 

At  Baltimore,  1843 — Preparations  to  Lay  Telegraph  Conductors — 
Success  of  Pipe-laying — Testing  the  Pipe — Midnight  Experiments 
— Defects  Discovered — Pipe  laid  to  Relay  House — Professor 
Morse's  Mysterious  Errand — Respite  Wanted — A  Queer  Acci- 
dent— Broken  Plow — Anxious  Conferences — Critical  Situation — 
Appropriation  nearly  Exhausted — Failure  Apprehended — Morse 
and  Smith  Disagree — Change  of  Programme — Light  Wanted — 
Subterranean  Line  Abandoned — Poles  Adopted — Line  Com- 
pleted— Successful  Operation — Presidential  Nomination,  1844 — 
Congressmen  Astonished 81 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

TELEGRAPH  DEVELOPMENT. 

Practical  Success  in  Operation — Government  Declines  to  Purchase 
Telegraph  Patent  for  $100,000 — Postmaster-General's  Report — 
Seeking  Private  Capital — Exhibition  of  Telegraph — Boston — New 
York — Building  Lines — Philadelphia  to  New  York,  1845 — ^ew 
York  to  Albany,  1846 — Troy  and  Canada,  1847 — Erie  and  Michi- 
gan, 1848 — Poverty  of  Chicago — Small  Investments — New  York 
and  Erie,  1849 — Fatal  Error  in  Insulation — Cold  Plunge  in  River 
— Competition  in  Western  States — Serious  Accident — Broken 
Arm — Bitterness  of  Rivalry — Unexampled  Brutality — Final  Tri- 
umph    91 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   WESTERN    UNION   TELEGRAPH    COMPANY. 

PACK 

Liberal  Patronage  in  Western  States — Activity  of  Competition — 
Threatened  Bankruptcy — Necessity  of  Consolidation — Organiza- 
tion of  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company —  Remarkable  Success 
— Good  Resulting  from  Evil — Railway  Co-operation — Growth  of 
the  Western  Union  System — Reduction  of  Tariffs — Russian  Ex- 
tension Project — Success  of  Atlantic  Cables — Mr.  Cornell's  Ser- 
vices— Profitable  Investment 108 

CHAPTER  X. 

AGRICULTURAL  TASTES. 

Rural  Tendencies — Resuming  Agricultural  Pursuits — Improved  Breeds 
of  Animals — The  Forest  Park  Herd — Farmers'  Club— Agricultural 
Societies — President  of  State  Society — Delegate  to  London  Ex- 
position— European  Travel — State  Fair — Embarrassments  of  the 
Agricultural  College — Proposition  to  Endow  an  Institution  for 
Agricultural  Education — Donating  a  Farm — Neglected  Facilities.  120 

CHAPTER   XL 

PUBLIC   LIFE. 

Duty  of  Citizens — Activity  in  Public  Affairs — Political  Management — 
Delegate  to  First  National  Republican  Convention — Fremont — 
Seward — Lincoln — Elected  to  State  Assembly — Re-elected — 
State  Senator — Second  Term — Declines  Farther  Service — Legis- 
lative Labors — Measures  Supported — Official  Fidelity 132 

CHAPTER   XIL 
THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

Anti-Slavery  Agitation — Personal  Observations — Opposition  to  Slavery 
Extension — Repeal  of  Missouri  Compromise — Free  Territories — 
Republican  Success — Treasonable  Teachings — The  Great  Re- 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

PAGE 

bellion — Call  for  Troops — Sustaining  the  Government — Encour- 
aging Enlistments — Care  of  Volunteers'  Families — Comfort  of  the 
Soldiers — Visiting  Battle-fields  and  Hospitals — Aiding  the  Sick 
and  Wounded — Care  of  Orphans — Restoration  of  the  Union — Sus- 
taining the  Veterans 144 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE   CORNELL   LIBRARY. 

Generous  Inspirations — Projecting  a  Free  Public  Library — Conference 
with  Citizens — Founding  the  Cornell  Library — Erecting  the  Edi- 
fice— Its  Cost — Germs  of  the  Library — Income  for  its  Support — 
Inauguration  Ceremonies — The  Founder's  Address — Formal  Pre- 
sentation— Acceptance  of  Trustees  by  Hon.  Benjamin  G.  Ferris 
— Address  of  Hon.  William  H.  Bogart — Contribution  of  Books 
— Subsequent  Management — Conclusion 155 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

ADDRESS  OF  DEDICATION,    CORNELL  LIBRARY. 

Appreciative  Co-operation — Address  of  Dedication  by  Hon.  Francis 
Miles  Finch — An  Eloquent  and  Impressive  Discourse — Educa- 
tional Influence  of  Libraries — Duty  of  Grateful  Appreciation — 
Useful  Lessons — Neglected  Opportunities — Unhealthy  Excite- 
ment    172 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY — CHARTER  AND  ORGANIZATION. 

Demand  for  Scientific  Education— The  Agricultural  College — Its  Fail- 
ure— Congressional  Appropriation  of  Public  Lands  for  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  Education — Acceptance  by  the  State — Appropria- 
tion to  People's  College — Inadequate  Vitality  and  Withdrawal  of 
Appropriation — Mr.  Cornell's  Offer  of  $500,000 — Animated  Con- 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

PACK 

test — Charter  of  Cornell  University — Offensive  Proviso — Location 
of  the  University — Additional  Contributions  by  the  Founder — 
Erection  of  College  Edifices — President  White — University  Fac- 
ulty and  Equipment — Liberal  Attendance  of  Students 184 

CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY — INAUGURAL  CEREMONIES. 
Opening  of  the  University — Inaugural  Exercises — Notable  Occasion — 
Founder's  Address — President  White's  Inaugural — Subsequent 
Benefactions — The  McGraw  Building — Sibley  College  of  Mechanic 
Arts — Female  Education — The  Sage  College — Sage  Chapel — 
University  Sermons — Jennie  McGraw's  Generous  Efforts — New 
Buildings — Grand  Development — Increased  Equipment  and  En- 
larged Facilities — The  Founder's  Aims  and  Hopes 198 

CHAPTER  XVIL 

THE  CORNELL   UNIVERSITY — THE   LAND   GRANT   FUND. 

Conditions  of  the  Appropriation — Depreciation  in  Value  of  Land 
Scrip — Prospects  of  Meagre  Endowment — Mr.  Cornell  Volunteers 
to  Locate  Public  Lands  for  Benefit  of  the  University — Contract 
with  the  Comptroller — Immense  Labors — Large  Advances — Gra- 
tuitous Services — Serious  Illness — Contract  Transferred  to  Univer- 
sity Authorities — Successful  Realization — Traducers — Vilification 
— Cruel  Misrepresentations — Official  Investigation — Complete  Vin- 
dication. . ; 215 

CHAPTER   XVIIL 

RAILROADS. 

Geographical  Location  of  Ithaca — Early  Prosperity — Injured  by  Rail- 
way Development — Declining  Importance — Inaccessible — Neces- 
sity for  Additional  Facilities  of  Travel — Ithaca  &  Athens  Rail- 
road— Ithaca  &  Cortland — Geneva  &  Ithaca — Utica,  Ithaca,  & 
Elmira — Bonding  Towns — Inability  to  Complete  Roads — Mr.  Cor- 


CONTENTS.  xv 


PAGE 


nell  Undertakes  the  Work — Financial  Crisis,  1873 — Embarrass- 
ments—Fatal Illness  and  Death— Sale  of  Interests — Great  Losses 
— Superb  Facilities  for  Travel  provided 227 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

PUBLIC   ENTERPRISE — LOCAL   IMPROVEMENTS. 

Local  Interests — Loyal  Citizenship — Public  Enterprise — Manufacturing 
Interests — Ontario  Ship  Canal — Telegraph  Connections — Glass- 
Works — Proposed  Iron-Works — Ithaca  Savings  Bank — First  Na- 
tional Bank — Local  Prosperity — Increased  Population — Extent  of 
University  Patronage — Romantic  Scenery— Other  Enterprises 239 

CHAPTER  XX. 

FAMILY   AND    DOMESTIC   RELATIONS. 

Reserved  Manners — Filial  Affection — Self-Reliance — Devotion  to 
Parents — Great  Bereavement — Fraternal  Generosity — Domestic 
Relations — Family  Discipline — Education  of  Children — Interest 
in  Distant  Relations — Genealogical  Labors — Loyalty  to  Old 
Friends — New  Family  Residence — "  Villa  Cornell  " — Elegance  of 
Construction — "  True  and  Firm" 251 

CHAPTER   XXL  ' 

PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS — RELIGIOUS  CHARACTER. 
Individuality — Truth  and  Frankness — Nervous  Energy — Untiring  In- 
dustry— Manual  Labor — Pedestrianism — Perseverance — Patience 
— Mental  Equipment — Courage — Independence — Integrity — Per- 
fect Development — Personal  Appearance — Unassuming  Manners 
— Private  Benefactions — Religious  Character — Friends'  Discipline.  264 

CHAPTER  XXIL 

LAST   ILLNESS. 

Vigorous  Constitution — General  Good  Health — Promised  Longevity — 
Fatal  Exposure — Sudden  Attack  of  Pneumonia — Extreme  Prostra- 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

PACE 

tion — Languishing  Weakness — Financial  Burdens — Physicians 
Plead  for  Exemption  from  Business  Cares — Attempted  Relief — 
Menaced  by  Rigorous  Weather — Relapse — Final  Rest 277 

CHAPTER  XXIIL 

PUBLIC  TRIBUTES. 

General  Sympathy  —  Ithaca  "Daily  Journal" — Froude's  Tribute — 
Formal  Expressions — Cornell  University — Cornell  Library — West- 
ern Union  Telegraph  Company — Village  Trustees — Students — Ith- 
aca Savings  Bank — Board  of  Education — Geneva,  Ithaca,  &  Athens 
Railroad — Agricultural  Society — Presbyterian  Church — Proclama- 
tion of  Village  President — Founder's  Hymn. 287 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

FUNERAL  OBSEQUIES. 

Manifestations  of  Grief — Suspension  of  Business — Lying  in  State  in 
Library  Hall — Funeral  Ceremonies — Vast  Concourse  in  Attend- 
ance— Services  Conducted  by  Dr.  Wilson  and  Dr.  Stebbins — Pall- 
bearers— The  Procession — Remains  Deposited  in  Family  Vault — 
Observances  at  Syracuse,  Auburn,  Aurora,  Cayuga,  Towanda, 
Syracuse  University — Dr.  Stebbins'  Address — "  Our  Founder". .  308 


EZRA   CORNELL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ANCESTRY. 

Puritan  Origin. — Friends  or  Quaker  Ancestry. — Elijah  Cornell 
born,  1771. — His  Father's  early  Death. — Apprenticed  to  Pot- 
ter's Trade,  1791. — Eunice  Barnard  born,  1788. — Marriage, 
1805. — Marriage  Certificate. — Located  in  Westchester. — Loss 
of  Vessel. — Removal  to  De  Ruyter,  1807. — Friends'  Meeting 
in  Quaker  Basin. — Return  to  Westchester,  1810. — Removal  to 
New  Jersey,  1817. — Close  of  War  prostrates  Business. — Re- 
turn to  De  Ruyter,  1819. 

THE  opportunities  afforded  by  Republican  institu- 
tions, for  the  development  and  elevation  of  indi- 
vidual character,  illustrate  more,  perhaps,  than 
anything  else,  the  wisdom  of  our  forefathers,  in 
establishing-  a  government  so  aptly  described  by 
the  martyred  LINCOLN,  as  "of  the  people,  by 
the  people,  for  the  people."  In  no  other  coun- 
try is  it  possible  for  the  youth  of  humble  birth  to 
achieve  results  which  are  constantly  occurring  in 
our  history.  Here  we  have  numberless  examples 
of  men,  born  and  reared  in  the  deepest  poverty 


1 8  EZRA    CORNELL. 

and  obscurity,  attaining  the  most  eminent  posi- 
tions in  public  life.  Dignitaries  of  the  highest 
rank  have  in  many  instances-  ascended  from  the 
most  humble  and  unpromising  origin ;  while 
many  of  the  greatest  fortunes  in  the  land,  have 
been  acquired  by  men,  who  began  life  with 
empty  hands,  and  without  the  aid  of  friends  or 
patrons.  So,  too,  some  of  the  most  important 
and  valuable  inventions  and  discoveries,  have 
been  made  by  persons,  springing  from  the  most 
obscure  walks  of  life.  The  learned  professions 
furnish  innumerable  illustrations  of  like  character, 
and  it  may  be  stated  almost  as  a  rule,  that  the 
grandest  successes  in  the  intellectual  activities  of 
our  country,  have  been  accomplished  by  those, 
who  may  truthfully  be  classed  as  self-made  men, 
and  have  arisen,  unsupported,  by  means  of  their 
own  talents  and  efforts. 

The  career  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  EZRA 
CORNELL,  the  founder  of  the  CORNELL  UNIVER- 
SITY, presents  a  notable  example  of  the  achievement 
of  unaided  effort.  The  child  of  humble  parentage, 
reared  in  a  new  country,  beyond  the  reach  of  ad- 
vanced educational  facilities,  with  only  such  rudi- 
mentary training  as  the  district  school  of  a  fron- 
tier region  afforded,  by  the  inherent  force  of  his 
native  talents,  he  successfully  gained  a  great  for- 
tune, that,  in  the  desire  to  elevate  his  fellow-man, 


ANCESTRY.  19 

he  devoted  to  the  establishment  of  a  noble  edu- 
cational institution,  which,  though  only  now  in  the 
second  decade  of  its  existence,  has  already  at- 
tained a  prominent  position  among  the  oldest  and 
most  celebrated  universities  of  the  country. 

A  complete  history  of  the  unceasing  labors  and 
indomitable  energy,  devoted  to  the  acquisition  of 
his  fortune ;  of  the  obstacles  encountered  and  sur- 
mounted ;  of  the  admirable  foresight  with  which 
he  planned,  and  the  unwavering  faith,  by  which 
he  was  sustained  to  final  success,  through  a  wil- 
derness of  difficulties  and  discouragements,  would 
read  almost  like  a  romance  ;  while  the  generosity 
and  self-sacrifice  with  which  he  dedicated  the 
fruits  of  success  to  the  intellectual  advancement 
of  his  race,  afford  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
real  greatness  of  the  man. 

The  ancestry  of  Mr.  Cornell,  both  paternal  and 
maternal,  was  of  Puritan  origin,  descending  from 
the  original  settlement  at  Plymouth,  so  celebrated 
in  the  early  history  of  civilization,  on  the  Ameri- 
can continent.  For  many  generations,  they  had 
been  members  of  the  religious  denomination,  or 
sect,  of  Friends,  more  commonly  called  Quakers, 
a  class  of  people  well-known  for  sturdy  upright- 
ness of  character,  and  for  their  domestic  virtues. 
With  them,  industry,  sobriety  and  frugality  were 
dominant  characteristics,  while  they  were  espe- 


20  EZRA    CORNELL. 

cially  noted  for  benevolence,  and  charitable  acts. 
Domestic  in  their  ways  of  life,  marriage  was 
with  them  a  holy  tie,  and  the  family  circle 
was  considered  a  sacred  precinct,  which  should 
be  exempt  from  indecorous  or  trifling  invasion. 
In  those  days  there  was  but  little  wealth  in  the 
country,  and  the  possession  of  an  independent 
competence  was,  indeed,  rare.  Labor  was,  there- 
fore, the  rule,  and  idleness  the  exception.  Then 
as  now,  however,  industry  and  economy  were 
certain  to  bring  their  reward.  While  some  mis- 
fortune might  often  bring  want,  real  poverty  was 
but  little  known,  but  if  caused  by  unavoidable 
circumstances,  it  was  not  regarded  as  discredit- 
able, and  was  always  certain  to  find  quick  relief. 

Mr.  Cornell's  father,  ELIJAH  CORNELL,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Swansea,  Bristol  County,  Mass., 
October  17,  1771,  and  was  consequently  four  and 
a  half  years  of  age  when  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  promulgated  by  the  Conti- 
nental Congress.  He  was  the  son  of  Elijah  Cor- 
nell, who  was  married,  December  4,  1769,  to 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Mehetabel  Mil- 
ler. Both  of  Mr.  Cornell's  parents  were  de- 
scended from  families,  who  had,  for  many  genera- 
tions, been  reared  in  the  near  vicinity  of  his  place 
of  nativity.  From  his  parentage,  he  inherited  the 
modest  and  unpretending  simplicity  of  character, 


HIS  MOTHER.  21 

that  so  particularly  distinguished  the  race  of 
people  from  which  he  was  descended.  His  father 
died  while  young  Elijah  was  still  in  infancy, 
leaving  his  mother,  with  two  young  children  de- 
pendent upon  her,  and  with  very  slender  means 
of  support.  She  was  afterward,  August  n,  1777, 
married  to  Benjamin  Chase,  an  estimable  man  in 
every  sense  of  the  term,  who  became,  indeed,  a 
father  to  the  fatherless.  Under  his  fostering  care, 
Elijah  and  his  elder  brother,  were  brought  up  on 
an  equal  footing  with  a  considerable  family  of 
children,  the  issue  of  the  second  marriage  of  their 
mother. 

That  they  were  fairly  educated,  considering  the 
primitive  times  in  which  they  lived,  is  attested 
by  the  fact  that  Elijah  was  frequently  employed 
in  teaching  school,  both  before  and  after  his 
marriage.  Elijah,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  was  in- 
dentured by  his  mother  to  Asa  Chase,  of  Somer- 
set, Bristol  County,  Mass.,  to  learn  the  potter's 
trade.  The  letters  of  indenture,  which  bear  date 
January  28,  1791,  are  still  extant  and  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  descendants.  The  mother  of  Ezra 
Cornell,  Eunice,  daughter  of  Captain  Reuben 
Barnard  and  Phebe  Coleman,  was  born  at  Nine 
Partners,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  May  u, 
1788.  Her  father  was  formerly  a  sea  captain, 
engaged  in  whale  fishery  from  New  Bedford, 


22  EZRA    CORNELL. 

who,  in  his  earlier  years,  had  made  many  voy- 
ages around  Cape  Horn  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  calling,  sometimes  being 
away  on  a  single  cruise  two  or  three  years,  with- 
out tidings  from  home  during  the  entire  voy- 
age. Tiring  of  the  monotony  and  dangers  of  a 
sea-faring  life,  and  especially,  of  the  prolonged 
absence  from  his  family  incident  thereto,  he 
withdrew  from  it,  and,  attracted  by  the  reported 
prosperity  of  former  neighbors  who  had  emigra- 
ted to  Columbia  and  Dutchess  Counties,  N.  Y., 
he  was  induced  to  follow  them,  and  with  his  fam- 
ily removed  to  his  new  home,  not  many  years 
prior  to  the  birth  of  his  daughter  named  above. 

Elijah  Cornell  and  Eunice  Barnard  were  united 
in  marriage  in  the  "  Friends'  Meeting,"  at  New 
Britain,  July  4,  1805.*  In  harmony  with  their 

*  MARRIAGE    CERTIFICATE. 

Whereas  Elijah  Cornell,  son  of  Elijah  Cornell  and  Sarah  his 
wife,  of  the  county  of  Bristol,  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and 
Eunice  Barnard,  daughter  of  Reuben  Barnard  and  Phoebe  his 
wife,  of  the  county  of  Columbia,  and  State  of  New  York,  having 
declared  their  intention  of  marrying  with  each  other,  before  the 
Monthly  Meetings  of  the  people  called  Quakers,  held  at  Hudson 
and  New  Britain  in  the  State  last  named,  they  having  consent 
of  parents  and  parties  concerned,  and  nothing  appearing  to  ob- 
struct their  said  proposal,  were  allowed  of  by  the  Meeting.  Now, 
these  are  to  certify  all  whom  it  may  concern,  that  for  the  full 
accomplishment  of  their  said  intentions,  this  fourth  day  of  Sev- 
enth Month,  in  the  year  1805,  they,  the  said  Elijah  Cornell  and 


MARRIAGE   CERTIFICATE.  2$ 

early  training,  both  were  professing  members  of 
the  religious  denomination,  to  which  their  fami- 
lies had  been  attached,  and  throughout  their 
prolonged  and  useful  lives,  they  continued  hum- 
ble, consistent,  and  devoted  Christians,  careful 
in  observing  every  requirement  of  their  faith, 

Eunice  Barnard,  appeared  in  a  public  meeting  of  said  people,  at 
New  Britain,  and  he,  the  said  Elijah  Cornell,  taking  the  said  Eu- 
nice Barnard  by  the  hand,  did  in  a  solemn  manner,  openly  de- 
clare that  he  took  her  to  be  his  wife,  promising,  through  Divine 
assistance,  to  be  unto  her  a  faithful  and  loving  husband,  until 
death  separate  them,  or  words  to  that  effect.  And  then  the  said 
Eunice  Barnard,  did  in  like  manner  declare  that  she  took  the  said 
Elijah  Cornell,  to  be  her  husband,  promising,  through  Divine  as- 
sistance, to  be  unto  him  a  faithful  and  loving  wife  until  death  sep- 
arate them,  or  words  to  that  purport ;  and  moreover  they,  the  said 
Elijah  Cornell  and  Eunice  Barnard,  she,  according  to  the  custom 
of  marriage  assuming  the  name  of  her  husband,  as  a  further  con- 
firmation, did  there  to  these  presents  set  their  hands. 

ELIJAH  CORNELL. 

EUNICE  CORNELL. 

And  we,  whose  names  have  hereunto  subscribed,  being  present 
at  the  solemnization  of  said  marriage  and  subscription,  have  as 
witnesses  hereunto  set  our  hands,  the  day  and  year  first  above 
written. 

REUBEN  BARNARD.  SIMEON  MACY. 

SHADRACH  WILBUR.  GIDEON  SWAIN. 

DAVID  REYNOLDS.  PHEBE  MACY. 

PHILIP  CORNELL.  ELIZABETH  BARNARD. 

FRANCIS  BARNARD.  MARY  BARNARD. 

BENJAMIN  CHASE.  ANNA  GARDNER. 

ELIAKIM  MOSHER.  ANN  PECKHAM. 

URIEL  COFFIN.  LIDIA  SWAIN. 


24  EZRA    CORNELL. 

following1  in  both  speech  and  dress  the  pe- 
culiarities of  their  sect.  Although  Elijah  Cor- 
nell was  nearly  thirty-four  years  of  age,  when  he 
entered  into  the  wedded  state,  he  lived  to  see 
all  of  his  eleven  children  grow  to  maturity, 
married  and  settled  in  life,  the  youngest  being, 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  more  than  thirty 
years  of  age.  He  resided  in  Westchester  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  at  the  date  of  his  marriage,  and  for 
about  two  years  thereafter,  at  Westchester  Land- 
ing, a  hamlet  at  the  head  of  tide-water  navi- 
gation, on  the  Bronx  River.  Here  Mr.  Cornell 
and  his  brother,  who  had  learned  the  trade  of 
ship  carpentry,  joined  as  partners  in  building  a 
vessel  for  the  Atlantic  coasting  trade,  which  un- 
fortunately was  lost  on  its  first  voyage,  and  being 
uninsured,  proved  a  serious  loss  to  its  owners,  who 
had  invested  the  greater  portion  of  their  savings 
in  its  construction.  Discouraged  by  this  expe- 
rience, Mr.  Cornell  abandoned  further  ventures  in 
navigation,  and  determined  to  change  his  residence 
to  what  was  then  the  Far  West,  and  in  1807  re- 
moved to  the  town  of  De  Ruyter,  Madison  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  Here  he  purchased  and  settled  on  a 
farm,  on  what  is  now  known  as  Crum  Hill,  about 
three  miles  east  of  De  Ruyter  village. 

It  is  not  at   all  improbable,  that   in    selecting 
the  location  of  his  new  home,   Mr.   Cornell  was 


QUAKER  BASIN.  2$ 

influenced,  to  a  considerable  degree,  by  the  fact 
that  within  a  short  distance  was  an  extensive 
neighborhood  of  "Friends,"  numerous  enough  to 
maintain  a  religious  society  of  their  own  peculiar 
faith.  This  portion  of  the  town  of  De  Ruyter, 
acquired  the  designation  of  "  Quaker  Basin," 
from  the  circumstance  that  nearly  all  of  the  resi- 
dents of  that  beautiful  valley  were  Friends,  and 
although  their  numerical  predominance  in  the 
vicinity  long  since  ceased,  Quaker  Basin  still  con- 
tinues as  a  local  geographical  name. 

Certain  it  is  that  the  locality  proved  more  sat- 
isfactory, on  account  of  its  social  and  religious 
associations,  than  as  a  profitable  field  of  labor,  for 
after  an  experience  of  two  years  in  pioneer  life, 
Mr.  Cornell  was  induced  to  return  to  Westchester 
County,  and  resume  work  at  his  trade.  He  en- 
tered the  employment  of  William  Young  &  Co., 
at  Westchester  village,  as  foreman  of  their  pot- 
tery in  April,  1810,  at  a  compensation  of  $10  per 
week,  and  his  family  joined  him  a  few  months 
later.  The  following  year  he  located  at  Tarry- 
town,  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  was  interested 
in  the  same  kind  of  business  about  four  years, 
after  which  he  changed  to  West  Farms,  where  he 
was  also  employed  at  the  potter's  trade.  In  1817 
he  removed  to  the  State  of  New  Jersey  and  set- 
tled in  Bergen  County,  and  soon  engaged  in  the 


26  EZRA    CORNELL. 

manufacture  of  earthenware  on  his  own  account, 
at  what  was  then  called  the  English  Neighbor- 
hood, not  very  far  from  the  present  beautiful  and 
thriving  village  of  Englewood.  Here  he  contin- 
ued about  three  years,  but  owing  to  the  depressed 
condition  of  affairs  after  the  close  of  the  war  with 
England,  and  the  severe  competition  in  his  line 
of  business,  from  the  importation  of  English  man- 
ufactures, he  sold  out  his  pottery  and  determined 
once  more  to  try  his  fortunes  in  De  Ruyter, 
whither  he  returned  with  his  family  late  in  the 
autumn  of  1819. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PIONEER  LIFE. 

A  Winter  Journey  from  New  Jersey  to  De  Ruyter. — Discomforts 
of  early  Travel. — Contrast  with  present  Facilities. — Pioneer 
Life. — Primitive  Agriculture.— Scarcity  of  Market. — Estab- 
lishing a  Pottery. — Advantages  of  diversified  Industries. — 
Removal  to  Ithaca,  1841. — Personal  Characteristics. — Death 
of  Wife  and  Mother. — Severe  Bereavement. — Christian  Char- 
acter.— Long  and  useful  Life. — Large  Number  of  worthy 
Descendants. 

THOSE  of  our  own  generation,  familiar  only  with 
existing  modes  of  travel,  can  but  faintly  realize 
the  hardships  encountered  by  families  emigrating 
to  any  considerable  distance,  with  their  house- 
hold effects,  in  that,  to  us,  remote  period.  At  the 
present  day,  the  j'ourney  from  New  York  City  to 
Madison  County,  may  be  made  in  ten  hours  time, 
with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  the  drawing- 
room  car  by  day,  and  the  sleeping  car  by  night. 
It  would  have  been  utterly  impossible  for  the  pion- 
eers of  our  then  frontier  region,  to  contemplate 
with  any  degree  of  intelligence,  even  had  they  been 
foretold  by  the  most  minute  revelation,  the  wonders 
of  the  modern  development  of  railway  facilities. 


28  EZRA    CORNELL. 

At  the  period  of  the  occurrence  of  incidents  re- 
lated in  this  chapter,  the  means  of  transit,  in  the 
State  of  New  York  were  very  meagre.  On  the 
Hudson  River,  steam  navigation  was  in  its  infancy, 
and  the  only  mode  of  public  conveyance  through 
the  western  portion  of  the  State,  was  by  stage- 
coach across  the  older  counties  bordering  on  the 
Mohawk  Valley,  and  thence  to  Buffalo,  a  vil- 
lage of  moderate  size,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Erie. 
The  southern  tier  of  counties,  adjacent  to  Penn- 
sylvania, were  but  sparsely  populated,  and  no  ac- 
commodation for  travel,  had  as  yet  been  estab- 
lished through  them.  The  original  Erie  Canal, 
was  only  then  in  course  of  construction,  and  was 
not  opened  for  traffic  until  several  years  later,  while 
the  first  railway  in  the  State,  was  not  yet  even 
projected.  In  removing  his  family  from  New  Jer- 
sey to  Madison  County,  Mr.  Cornell  was  obliged, 
for  want  of  other  transportation,  to  make  the 
journey  with  his  own  teams,  carrying  also  his 
personal  effects,  household  goods  and  provisions, 
as  well  as  many  farming  utensils,  and  implements 
of  his  mechanical  trade.  Their  course  was,  of 
necessity,  much  of  the  way,  through  an  almost 
uninhabited  wilderness,  over  the  rudest  and  some- 
times nearly  impassable  roads,  frequently  inter- 
rupted by  unbridged  streams. 

With  so  many  obstacles  to  overcome,  and  at 


A    WINTER    JOURNEY.  29 

the  slow  pace  of  animals  drawing  lumber  wag- 
ons, loaded  with  the  persons  and  possessions  of 
a  family  seeking  a  new  home,  it  would  indeed  be 
difficult  for  us  to  realize  the  tedium  and  positive 
discomforts  of  such  a  journey.  The  route  fol- 
lowed, was  along  the  Ramapo  Valley,  and,  by 
way  of  Goshen,  through  Orange  County ;  across 
the  Shawungunk  range  of  mountains  near  the 
present  town  of  Otisville  on  the  Erie  Railway, 
and  over  the  Navesink  River  at  the  little  ham- 
let of  Cuddebackville,  about  eight  miles  above  the 
site  of  the  now  prosperous  village  of  Port  Jervis, 
which  was  then  covered  with  a  dense  forest. 
Thence  through  the  great  beech  woods  of  Sul- 
livan and  Delaware  Counties,  crossing  the  Che- 
nango  Valley  at  Oxford,  and  over  the  bleak  hills 
of  Chenango  County,  to  the  place  of  destination. 
The  travelling  party  consisted  of  Mr.  Cornell, 
his  wife,  and  six  children,  the  oldest  only  twelve 
years  old  and  the  youngest  an  infant  in  its  moth- 
er's arms,  and  these,  with  their  domestic  goods, 
constituted  the  burden  of  two  ordinary  teams. 
For  a  portion  of  the  distance,  they  were  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  obtain  entertainment  over  night,  at  pub- 
lic inns  or  farm-houses,  while  through  the  more 
secluded  regions,  they  were  obliged  to  content 
themselves  with  the  shelter  of  their  own  covered 
vehicles,  and  the  cheering  hospitality  of  a  camp- 


30  EZRA    CORNELL. 

fire  in  the  woods.  In  the  cold,  short,  wintry  days, 
the  journey  thus  made,  covering  a  distance  of 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  occupied  some- 
thing more  than  two  weeks,  a  period  of  time  suf- 
ficient at  the  present  day,  to  permit  emigrants  to 
be  conveyed  from  Great  Britain,  or  the  Continen- 
tal ports  of  Europe,  to  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  or 
the  frontier  regions  of  the  United  States. 

The  contrast  between  the  modes  of  travel  in 
1819,  and  those  which  we  now  enjoy,  striking  as 
it  may  seem,  is  not  greater  than  the  difference 
between  the  condition  of  pioneer  farmers  of  the 
former  period,  and  those  of  the  times  with  which 
we  are  familiar.  While  through  the  older  settled 
portions  of  the  country,  the  stage-coach  furnished 
means  for  the  transit  of  passengers,  there  were 
no  public  facilities  for  the  conveyance  of  freight, 
except  over  such  natural  water-courses  as  were 
navigable.  To  find  purchasers  for  surplus  farm 
products,  the  producer  had  necessarily  to  convey 
them  to  a  point  of  shipment,  however  distant  it 
might  be. 

Beyond  the  ordinary  home  consumption  of  such 
articles,  no  market  existed  short  of  localities  fa- 
vored with  water  navigation.  For  the  very  mea- 
gre growth  which  could  be  realized  from  the  cold 
and  sterile  hills  of  De  Ruyter,  there  was  no  de- 
mand which  could  be  relied  upon,  more  acces- 


ESTABLISHING  A   POTTERY.  31 

sible  than  at  Albany,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
distant,  to  which  place  the  farmers  of  Madison 
County,  were  often  obliged  to  convey  their  grain 
by  teams.  It  may  readily  be  imagined,  therefore, 
that  the  net  avails  of  the  small  surplus  of  agri- 
cultural products,  after  paying  the  expense  of 
transportation,  were  limited  indeed.  Mr.  Cornell 
determined  to  establish  an  earthenware  pottery  on 
his  farm,  to  enable  him  to  furnish  an  article,  which 
would  command  a  home  market.  The  wares 
of  foreign- potteries,  had  not  yet  penetrated  the 
wilds  of  Madison  and  adjoining  counties,  and  the 
pioneer  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  ready  sale 
for  the  goods  of  his  manufacture,  thereby  very 
profitably  supplementing  the  operations  of  the 
farm.  In  the  work  of  the  shop,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  field,  he  utilized  the  labor  of  his  growing  sons, 
thus  rearing  them  to  habits  of  industry,  and  pre- 
paring them  for  careers  of  usefulness  and  pros- 
perity, when  they  should  venture  forth  from  the 
paternal  home. 

Gradually  the  introduction  of  the  celebrated 
Amboy  clay,  from  New  Jersey,  by  water  trans- 
portation, enabled  potteries  located  on  the  line  of 
the  canal  to  produce  stoneware  at  prices  which 
proved  injurious  to  the  sale  of  earthenware ;  and 
owing  to  the  isolated  location  of  De  Ruyter,  it 
was  found  impossible  to  compete  successfully 


32  EZRA    CORNELL. 

with  manufactories  more  favorably  situated.  Sev- 
eral of  his  children  having  previously  settled  at 
Ithaca,  and  desiring  their  parents  to  locate  near 
them,  Mr.  Cornell,  in  1841,  changed  his  resi- 
dence to  that  place,  where  he  established  a  new 
pottery,  for  the  production  of  both  earthen  and 
stoneware. 

This  change  was  found  advantageous,  not  only 
on  account  of  the  added  variety  of  product,  but 
also  from  the  more  extended  market,  which  the 
new  location  allowed  him  to  supply.  He  contin- 
ued the  manufacture  of  both  kinds  of  ware  at 
Ithaca,  for  about  ten  years,  when,  owing  to  ad- 
vanced age,  he  was  induced  to  dispose  of  his 
property,  and  retire  finally  from  active  business 
pursuits.  The  pottery  thus  inaugurated  by  him 
at  Ithaca,  has  been  carried  on  by  his  successors 
in  business,  and  still  remains  one  of  the  useful 
and  prosperous  industries  of  the  village,  affording 
remunerative  employment  for  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  persons. 

He  continued  to  live  at  Ithaca  until  1855,  when, 
with  his  wife  and  youngest  daughter,  the  only  one 
of  his  children  remaining  at  home,  he  removed 
to  Albion,  Mich.,  where  several  of  his  daughters 
were  then  residing  near  each  other.  Here  the 
declining  years  of  their  long  and  useful  lives, 
were  spent  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  loyal  and 


FORTUNATE  MARRIAGE.  33 

grateful  devotion  of  their  thoughtful  and  affec- 
tionate children. 

In  all  that  constitutes  sturdy  and  upright  man- 
hood, Elijah  Cornell  was  a  worthy  example.  Be- 
ginning life  empty-handed,  by  industry  and  fru- 
gality he  was  able  to  maintain  in  comfort  and 
contentment,  a  family  of  eleven  children,  giving 
them  the  best  opportunities  for  education  which 
the  locality  of  his  residence  afforded,  and  training 
them  by  precept  and  example,  to  habits  of  sobri- 
ety and  thrift,  under  the  influence  of  which  they 
became  prosperous  and  useful  members  of  so- 
ciety. He  was  a  man  of  singular  frankness  and 
simplicity  of  character  ;  of  unquestioned  integrity, 
and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty  and 
obligation. 

His  house  was  ever  the  seat  of  graceful  hos- 
pitality, and  the  needy  never  went  from  his  door, 
without  a  generous  response  to  all  reasonable 
appeals  for  assistance.  Mr.  Cornell's  marriage 
was,  perhaps,  the  most  fortunate  event  of  his  life. 
His  wife  was  a  woman  of  a  remarkable  charac- 
ter ;  gentle  and  benevolent  in  disposition,  with 
a  peculiar  sweetness  of  manner,  which  won  the 
admiration  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  she  be- 
came associated.  Domestic  in  her  tastes  and 
habits  ;  amiable,  patient,  and  cheerful  at  all  times 
and  under  all  circumstances ;  devoted  to  the  dis- 

3 


34  EZRA    CORNELL. 

charge  of  home  duties,  she  was  in  every  respect 
a  model  wife  and  mother,  enjoying  in  the  fullest 
sense,  the  affection  of  her  husband,  and  the  love 
and  veneration  of  her  children.  An  humble  and 
earnest  Christian,  she  never  tired  in  the  service 
of  her  Master. 

To  the  sick,  the  poor,  and  the  unfortunate,  it  was 
her  pleasure  to  minister  with  the  kindness  and 
patience  of  a  good  Samaritan,  and  no  worthy 
call  failed  to  receive  her  sympathetic  attention. 
After  fifty-two  years  of  happy  married  life,  through 
the  whole  course  of  which  hers  was  the  presiding 
spirit  of  a  peaceful,  Christian  home,  she  was  called 
to  her  rest,  lamented  and  revered  by  a  large  circle 
of  loving  and  appreciative  friends. 

Her  husband  survived  her  five  years,  and  died 
March  27,  1862,  having  attained  the  remarkable 
age,  of  ninety-one  years,  in  the  full  possession 
of  his  mental  and  physical  faculties.  Seldom,  in- 
deed, is  it  given  to  man  to  pass  such  number  of 
years,  so  absolutely  free  from  enmities  or  antago- 
nisms, and  so  universally  respected  and  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  at  this  late  day,  to 
place  on  record,  more  than  a  very  brief  outline  of 
the  career  of  Elijah  Cornell,  which  covered  the 
whole  period  of  our  national  existence,  down  to 
the  second  year  of  the  late  civil  war.  Born  prior 


WORTHY  POSTERITY,  35 

to  the  revolution,  he  was  a  voter  at  the  second 
election  of  Washington,  as  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  was  in  the  full  maturity  of  manhood 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  Like 
the  generality  of  members  of  his  religious  faith, 
he  took  but  little  active  part  in  the  direction 
of  public  affairs,  and  therefore  no  public  record 
affords  intelligence  respecting  him.  A  quiet,  un- 
pretending, law-abiding  citizen,  engrossed  in  the 
care  and  maintenance  of  a  large  family,  he  left 
no  written  account  of  his  daily  walk  and  labors, 
beyond  that  found  in  his  family  register. 

The  only  source  of  information,  therefore,  avail- 
able at  the  present  day,  especially  in  reference  to 
the  earlier  portion  of  his  life,  consists  of  such  tra- 
ditions of  the  family,  as  those  now  living,  have 
from  time  to  time,  incidentally  acquired,  and 
treasured  in  their  memories.  From  the  sketch 
herewith  presented,  it  will  be  observed  that  his 
children  must  have  been  reared  in  the  path  of 
virtue  and  rectitude,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  record, 
that,  in  subsequent  life,  they  justified  the  expecta- 
tion, which  such  training  would  naturally  inspire. 

The  descendants  of  this  worthy  couple,  at  the 
present  time,  number  about  one  hundred  and  fif- 
ty, already  extending  to  the  fifth  generation,  and 
it  can  be  truthfully  stated  that  the  family,  in  all 
branches,  are  free  from  discredit,  in  all  that  per- 


36  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tains  to  good  citizenship,  and  independent  self- 
maintenance.  It  is  also,  a  matter  of  especial  con- 
gratulation, that  they  are  exempt,  in  a  remarka- 
ble degree,  from  the  blight  of  intemperance,  that 
abominable  curse,  which  has  brought  misfortune 
and  sorrow  to  so  many  families,  that  would  other- 
wise have  been  prosperous  and  happy. 

Earnest  and  painstaking  in  the  pursuit  of  knowl- 
edge, they  have  shown  commendable  zeal  in  im- 
proving every  opportunity  for  education.  Quite 
a  number  have  devoted  themselves  to  teaching, 
and  several  are  members  of  the  professions  of 
law,  medicine,  divinity,  and  the  sciences.  Where- 
as but  few  of  them  have  acquired  large  wealth, 
many  have  become  possessed  of  considerable 
estates,  and  the  rest  are  in  thrifty  and  comforta- 
ble circumstances,  occupying  creditable  standing 
in  the  communities  in  which  they  reside ;  while 
several  have  attained  prominent  and  influential 
positions  in  public  life,  and  in  the  business  affairs 
of  the  country. 

Although  never  in  the  enjoyment  of  any  large 
surplus  of  worldly  wealth,  Elijah  Cornell  was  an 
industrious  and  prosperous  man,  whose  financial 
condition,  was  quite  equal  to  the  average  of  his 
neighbors.  He  was  always  able  to  maintain  a 
comfortable  and  cheerful  home,  from  which  his 
children,  ever  reluctantly,  went  forth  to  establish 


A   HAPPY  HOME.  37 

themselves  in  independent  life,  but  to  which 
they  often  returned,  with  feelings  of  gladness, 
certain  of  being  received  with  a  cordial  and  affec- 
tionate parental  greeting.  In  the  several  places 
of  their  residence,  the  family  were  highly  respect- 
ed and  esteemed  for  their  uprightness  and  genial 
neighborly  qualities. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BIRTH,  CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH. 

Birth  of  Ezra  Cornell,  1807. — Vigorous  Constitution. — Obedient 
Childhood. — Active  and  Studious. — Anxiety  to  attend  School. 
— Superior  Scholarship. — Meagre  Educational  Advantages. — 
Mechanical  Tastes. — Assists  building  Pottery. — Erecting 
Dwelling. — Surprising  Success. — Ambition  for  Self-support. — 
Seeking  Employment. — Syracuse  a  mere  Hamlet. — Employ- 
ment at  Homer. — Visiting  Home. — Decides  to  locate  at  Ithaca. 
— Early  Advantages  of  the  Village. — On  Foot  to  Ithaca. — 
Worthy  Ambition. 

OF  all  the  worthy  people  assembled  in  Friends' 
meeting,  at  New  Britain,  on  that  pleasant  Sab- 
bath summer  morning,  July  4,  1805,  probably  not 
a  single  one  contemplated,  even  in  what  might 
have  seemed  the  wildest  realms  of  imagination, 
the  possibility  of  results  which,  down  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  have  actually  been  realized  from  the 
marriage  they  were  then  called  upon  to  witness, 
of  the  staid  bachelor,  Elijah  Cornell,  already  ap- 
proaching middle  age,  and  the  young  and  gentle 
maiden,  Eunice  Barnard.  As  related  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  the  descendants  of  the  couple  then 
united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  number  at  this 


BIRTH  AND    CHILDHOOD.  39 

time,  1884,  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons, all  of  whom,  point  with  pride,  to  their  com- 
mon ancestry.  The  direct  issue  of  this  marriage 
was  the  birth  of  eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five 
daughters,  of  whom  all  were  reared  to  maturity, 
and  married. 

The  eldest  of  these  children,  and  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  EZRA  CORNELL,  was  born  at  West- 
chester  Landing,  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  Jan- 
uary n,  1807.  From  his  parents  he  inherited  a 
superb  constitution,  which,  with  his  temperate 
habits,  enabled  him  to  endure  an  unusual  amount 
of  labor,  and  throughout  his  active  life,  he  was 
noted  for  the  wonderful  energy  he  devoted  to  the 
accomplishment  of  whatever  undertaking,  he  was 
called  upon  to  perform.  In  stature  he  was  about 
six  feet  high,  rather  spare  in  figure,  with  fine 
muscular  development.  His  features  were  rug- 
ged, with  high  cheek-bones  and  prominent  fore- 
head, indicating  marked  alertness  of  the  percep- 
tive faculties.  He  was  remarkably  industrious 
and  never  an  idler,  either  as  boy  or  man.  While 
fond  of  the  ordinary  sports  of  youth,  and  a  leader 
in  those  in  which  he  engaged,  his  ingenious  and 
practical  mind  led  him,  even  during  boyhood,  to 
constant  endeavor  in  an  useful  direction,  such  as 
repairing  some  damaged  article  or  devising  a  new 
implement. 


40  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Naturally  of  an  inquiring  turn  of  mind,  young 
Cornell  early  manifested  an  extraordinary  desire 
for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  He  was  a  de- 
voted student,  and  eagerly  availed  himself  of  every 
means  for  improvement  within  his  reach.  His 
privileges  in  this  respect,  however,  were  extreme- 
ly narrow,  as,  owing  to  the  inability  of  his  parents 
to  send  him  from  home,  in  pursuit  of  an  educa- 
tion, he  was  obliged  to  content  himself,  with  the 
resources  of  the  common  school  of  the  remote  re- 
gion of  his  residence,  supplemented  with  such 
additional  instruction,  as  his  father's  accomplish- 
ments qualified  him  to  bestow. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  earnestness  with  which 
he  embraced  every  chance  to  secure  a  good  edu- 
cation, it  may  be  related,  that  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, with  the  sole  aid  of  his  brother,  who  was  one 
year  his  junior,  he  undertook  the  chopping  and 
clearing  of  four  acres  of  heavy  beech  and  maple 
woodland,  plowing  and  planting  it  to  corn,  as  the 
condition  of  being  permitted  to  attend  school  dur- 
ing the  winter  term.  This  task  was  successfully 
accomplished,  and  the  privilege  thus  secured  util- 
ized to  complete  his  preparation  for  active  life. 

His  peculiar  faculty  of  observation  and  reflec- 
tion not  infrequently  aided  him  to  prosecute  par- 
ticular lines  of  study  far  beyond  the  limit  of 
the  teachers'  capacity,  thus  placing  him  great- 


YOUTH.  41 

ly  in  advance  of  the  average  scholar,  who  en- 
joyed the  same  facilities  for  instruction.  The 
ending  of  school-days  did  not,  however,  as  is 
too  often  the  case,  put  a  stop  to  farther  effort  for 
mental  cultivation.  On  the  contrary,  all  spare 
time  throughout  his  entire  life,  was  devoted  to 
reading  and  investigation. 

Endowed  with  rare  talent  for  mechanics,  he  im- 
proved every  opportunity,  to  pursue  the  studies 
relating  thereto.  No  science  was  too  intricate  for 
his  understanding,  and  in  the  years  of  maturity, 
he  sustained  himself  creditably  in  association  with 
those  who  had  in  early  life  enjoyed  advantages 
of  education  very  much  superior  to  those  af- 
forded him.  After  leaving  school,  the  following 
year  was  devoted  to  labor  on  the  farm  and  in 
the  pottery.  The  next  year  his  father  decided 
to  build  a  more  extensive  manufactory,  and  en- 
gaged a  carpenter  for  the  purpose.  Ezra  was 
permitted  to  work  on  the  job,  and  thus  becom- 
ing somewhat  familiar  with  the  use  of  tools,  he 
took  a  fancy  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  as  a  means 
of  livelihood. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  new  building,  with 
the  assistance,  only,  of  his  younger  brother,  he 
cut  from  the  forest,  the  necessary  timber  and 
lumber,  and  erected  for  his  father's  family,  a 
two-story  frame  dwelling  house,  which,  at  the 


42  EZRA    CORNELL. 

time  of  its  construction,  was  the  best  residence 
in  the  town  of  De  Ruyter.  Without  previous 
experience,  or  special  knowledge  of  house  build- 
ing, except  such  as  he  had  acquired  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  pottery,  and  wholly  without 
instruction,  or  supervision  by  others,  he  planned 
and  framed  the  structure,  so  that  every  timber 
went  to  its  place  without  fault.  When  the  young 
builders,  had  so  far  progressed  with  their  work, 
as  to  be  ready  for  putting  up  the  frame,  the  cus- 
tomary invitation  was  given  to  the  neighbors  to 
assist  at  the  raising,  which  was  responded  to  with 
unusual  alacrity,  on  account  of  the  novelty  of  the 
youthful  architect.  Much  surprise  was  manifested 
by  the  veterans  in  building,  who  were  present,  at 
the  perfection  of  the  work,  and  the  correctness 
with  which  every  mortise  and  tenon  fitted  to  its 
place. 

This  achievement,  by  a  boy  of  seventeen  was 
the  wonder  of  the  neighborhood,  and  won  for 
him  an  enviable  reputation  for  practical  ability 
and  usefulness.  His  success  as  a  master  builder 
aroused  an  ambition  to  establish  himself  on  an  in- 
dependent and  self-supporting  basis.  Work  on 
the  farm,  and  in  the  pottery,  had  no  further  at- 
tractions for  him,  and  under  his  new  resolve,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  he  sallied  forth  from  the  pa- 
rental roof  in  quest  of  business. 


EARLY  OCCUPATION.  43 

He  did  not  readily  find  occupation  at  the  car- 
penter's trade,  but,  willing  to  try  his  hand  at  any 
useful  work,  he  soon  found  employment  in  Onon- 
daga  County,  where,  in  the  vicinity  of  Syracuse, 
then  but  an  insignificant  hamlet,  he  was  engaged 
nearly  two  years  in  getting  out  timber  for  ship- 
ment by  canal  to  the  city  of  New  York.  He  then 
went  to  Homer,  in  Cortland  County,  where  he  was 
employed  one  year,  in  the  machine  shop  of  Wil- 
liam Turner,  in  making  wool-carding  machinery. 
While  engaged  at  Homer,  which  was  about  twen- 
ty miles  from  De  Ruyter,  he  was  accustomed  to 
make  frequent  visits  to  his  father's  family,  going 
home  Saturday  evening  and  returning  to  his 
work,  on  Monday  morning  following.  In  good 
weather  and  fair  travelling,  these  visits  were  gen- 
erally made  on  foot. 

Having  completed  his  engagement  at  Homer, 
and  hearing  some  favorable  account  of  the  outlook 
for  business  at  Ithaca,  Mr.  Cornell  was  thereby 
induced  to  proceed  thither  in  search  of  employment. 
His  mission  in  this  respect  was  successful,  and 
that  place,  thereafter,  became  the  home  of  his  life. 
Ithaca  was  then  a  small  village,  and,  from  its 
location  at  the  head  of  Cayuga  Lake,  through 
which,  it  had  already  been  placed  in  direct  com- 
munication with  the  Erie  Canal  so  recently  com- 
pleted, was  just  beginning  to  enjoy  the  advantages 


44  EZRA    CORNELL. 

of  its  position,  as  a  shipping  point  for  a  large 
range  of  country.  No  railroads  had  yet  been  con- 
structed, and  Ithaca  was  the  most  eligible  point 
connected  with  water  navigation,  for  the  southern 
counties  of  New  York,  and  the  adjoining  por- 
tion of  Pennsylvania. 

The  whole  space  of  country,  from  Bingham- 
ton  to  Painted  Post,  and  as  far  south  as  Towanda, 
in  Pennsylvania,  was  thus  rendered  tributary  to 
the  prosperity  of  Ithaca.  Hundreds  of  teams 
were  constantly  employed  in  hauling  lumber  and 
grain  to  Ithaca,  for  shipment  to  eastern  markets, 
returning  loaded  with  salt,  plaster,  and  merchan- 
dise for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  extended 
region  above  described.  A  small  settlement,  com- 
prising some  three  families,  had  located  on  the 
site  of  the  present  village  as  early  as  1789, 
but  it  continued  a  mere  hamlet  until  about  the 
year  1800,  when  Ithaca  was  practically  founded, 
by  the  late  General  Simeon  DeWitt,  for  many 
years  Surveyor-General  of  the  State,  who,  at- 
tracted by  the  romantic  scenery  and  natural  beauty 
of  its  surroundings,  acquired  title  to  a  large  tract  of 
land,  which  he  laid  out  as  a  town  site,  and  gave 
to  it  the  classical  name  which  it  has  ever  since  so 
worthily  borne. 

A  post-office  was  established  in  1804,  and,  un- 
der the  interested  patronage  of  General  DeWitt, 


ITHACA.  45 

through  whose  influence  a  number  of  prominent 
families  were  induced  to  locate  in  the  embryo  vil- 
lage, Ithaca  soon  became  a  growing  place,  having 
at  the  time  of  Mr.  Cornell's  advent  attained  a 
population  of  about  two  thousand,  and  was  en- 
joying the  benefit  of  a  thriving  trade  from  the 
large  territory  dependent  upon  it  for  communica- 
tion with  the  principal  markets  of  the  country. 
With  a  spare  suit  of  clothes,  and  a  few  dollars  in 
his  pocket,  the  earnings  of  his  previous  labors, 
Ezra  Cornell  entered  Ithaca  on  foot,  having  walked 
from  his  father's  house  in  De  Ruyter,  a  distance 
of  about  forty  miles.  He  had  chosen  to  make  the 
journey  thus,  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  saving 
the  expense  of  riding,  but  also  for  the  pleasure  he 
enjoyed  in  walking.  With  him,  pedestrianism  was 
throughout  life,  one  of  the  highest  sources  of 
enjoyment,  and  in  any  ordinary  trip,  he  usually 
preferred  walking  to  any  other  means  of  transit. 
He  could  travel  forty  miles  per  day,  with  perfect 
ease,  and  follow  it  up  from  day  to  day. 

In  this  manner  came  the  man  who  was  destined 
to  identify  himself  with  the  place  of  his  adoption 
as  a  home,  with  such  effect  that  the  names  of 
ITHACA,  and  CORNELL,  should  be  made  familiar  to 
the  whole  civilized  world.  Without  a  single  ac- 
quaintance in  the  village,  and  with  no  introduction 
or  certificate  of  character,  in  any  form,  except  such 


46  EZRA    CORNELL. 

as  he  could  offer  in  his  own  behalf,  he  arrived 
at  Ithaca,  with  youth,  courage,  and  ambition  as 
capital  stock,  determined  by  his  own  exertions  to 
earn  a  living,  and  establish  himself  on  a  perma- 
nent and  prosperous  basis.  This  was  his  purpose, 
and  no  ordinary  obstacle  was  to  be  permitted  to 
turn  him  from  the  line  of  action  thus  marked 
out  for  himself.  How  well  he  succeeded  in  ac- 
complishing the  task  undertaken,  can  be  gathered 
from  the  story  of  his  subsequent  career — a  record 
which  may  be  studied  with  advantage  by  every 
young  man  who  has  to  conquer  a  place  in  the 
world  by  his  own  exertions. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EARLY  MANHOOD. 

Employment  at  Ithaca,  1828. — Ira  Tillotson. — Bloodgood  House. 
— Baptist  Church. — Otis  Eddy. — Cotton  Factory. — Repairing 
Beebe's  Mill. — Continued  Employment  with  Colonel  Beebe, 
1829  to  1841. — Mechanical  Skill. — Fall  Creek  Tunnel. — Bee- 
be  Dam.  —  Lifelong  Friendship  with  Colonel  Beebe.  —  Im- 
proving Schools. — Influence  in  Local  Affairs. — Political  Ac- 
tion.— Hard  Cider  Campaign. — "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too." 
— Death  of  President  Harrison. — Loss  of  Employment. — 
Looking  Abroad. 

ALMOST  immediately  after  his  arrival  at  Ithaca,  in 
April,  1828,  Mr.  Cornell  succeeded  in  securing 
engagement  as  a  carpenter,  and  by  good  work- 
manship and  strict  attention  to  the  interests  com- 
mitted to  him,  he  was  not  long  in  gaining  an 
enviable  repute,  as  an  industrious  and  painstak- 
ing mechanic,  thus  insuring  his  continued  and 
satisfactory  occupation.  Mr.  Ira  Tillotson,  then 
a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  of  Ithaca,  who 
was  a  master-builder,  enjoying  an  extensive  pat- 
ronage in  that  line  of  business,  was  his  employer, 
and  his  first  labor  in  Ithaca  was  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  dwelling-house,  situated  at  the  corner 


48  EZRA   CORNELL. 

of  Geneva  and  Clinton  Streets,  which  has,  now 
for  many  years,  been  the  residence  of  the  Blood- 
good  family.  He  was  next  engaged  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Baptist  Church  building,  fronting  on 
the  east  side  of  the  DeWitt  Park,  and  which  was 
afterward,  about  the  year  1853,  destroyed  by  fire. 
Within  a  few  weeks  of  his  location  at  Ithaca 
he  was  offered  a  situation  by  Mr.  Otis  Eddy— 
the  proprietor  of  an  extensive  cotton  manufactory, 
occupying  the  site  of  the  present  Cascadilla  Place 
building — who  was  in  need  of  the  services  of  a 
person  competent  to  keep  his  mill  and  machinery 
in  suitable  condition  for  operation.  Mr.  Cornell's 
experience  during  the  preceding  year,  at  the 
Homer  machine-shop,  had  been  a  valuable  prepa- 
ration in  qualifying  him  to  fulfil  the  requirements 
of  his  new  position,  which  he  was  able  to  meet 
so  satisfactorily  as  to  result  in  his  continuance  in 
Mr.  Eddy's  employment  for  more  than  a  year. 
Mr.  Jeremiah  S.  Beebe,  proprietor  of  the  flour- 
ing and  plaster  mills  at  Fall  Creek,  near  the  village 
of  Ithaca,  was  about  this  time  in  want  of  the  ser- 
vices of  a  millwright,  to  overhaul  and  repair  his 
mills ;  but  having  been  unable  to  find  an  artisan 
skilled  in  that  particular  branch  of  mechanism,  and 
hearing  of  Mr.  Cornell  as  an  ingenious  and  versa- 
tile workman,  he  applied  to  Mr.  Eddy  for  permis- 
sion to  engage  the  young  man  for  the  purpose 


PROMOTION.  49 

named,  which   was    granted    in    true    neighborly 
spirit. 

Although  Mr.  Cornell  was  quite  unfamiliar 
with  work  of  the  kind  which  was  required,  his 
practical  intelligence  aided  him  to  successfully 
accomplish  the  desired  task ;  and  such  was  the 
satisfaction  of  his  employer,  that  the  engage- 
ment, which  was  of  the  most  incidental  and  tem- 
porary character,  as  contemplated  by  both  parties 
in  the  beginning,  proved  to  be  permanent ;  and 
was  continued  without  interruption  more  than 
twelve  years,  extending  from  1829  to  1841,  and 
was  only  brought  to  a  close  by  the  retirement  of 
Colonel  Beebe  from  active  pursuits.  Engaged 
at  first  only  as  a  mechanic,  Mr.  Cornell's  duties 
were  gradually  modified  and  enlarged  in  impor- 
tance, until  he  finally  became  the  confidential 
agent  and  general  manager  of  Colonel  Beebe,  in 
the  transaction  of  his  extensive  affairs  at  Fall 
Creek,  which  involved  the  disbursement  of  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  annually,  and  for 
many  years  the  business  was  almost  as  complete- 
ly under  Mr.  Cornell's  control  and  discretion  as  it 
would  have  been  were  he  the  proprietor  of  the 
entire  establishment. 

With  an  especial  adaptation  to  the  science  of 
mechanics,  both  theoretically  and  practically,  and 
having  rendered  himself  thoroughly  familiar  with 


50  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  operation  of  the  mills,  in  all  of  its  interesting 
details,  Mr.  Cornell  was  able  to  devise  and  intro- 
duce into  successful  use,  many  valuable  mechani- 
cal improvements,  and  to  utilize  various  plans  for 
economizing  the  methods  of  manufacture.  He  was 
especially  fertile  and  ingenious  in  planning  and  per- 
fecting labor-saving  appliances  of  many  kinds, 
by  which  the  current  expenses  of  the  establish- 
ment were  very  materially  reduced ;  and  his  thor- 
ough system  of  business  enabled  him  to  realize 
the  best  results  in  marketing  the  products  of  the 
mills.  Under  his  management,  the  success  of  the 
enterprise  induced  the  proprietor  to  erect  a  new 
flouring  mill  of  largely  increased  capacity.  The 
mill  was  planned  by,  and  built  under  the  exclusive 
supervision  and  direction  of  Mr.  Cornell,  and,  for 
excellence  and  economy  of  construction,  the  ad- 
mirable character  of  mechanical  devices  and  ar- 
rangements, as  well  as  for  the  superiority  of  prac- 
tical operations,  it  was  unexcelled  and  perhaps 
unequalled  in  the  entire  State. 

At  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Cornell's  connection 
with  them,  the  Fall  Creek  mills — not  only  those  of 
Colonel  Beebe,  but  also  the  paper-mills  occupy- 
ing the  adjoining  mill-sites — were  supplied  with 
power  by  water  brought  from  the  head  of  the 
great  falls  through  a  wooden  race-way,  or  flume, 
attached  to  the  overhanging  wall  of  rock,  on  the 


THE   TUNNEL.  5 1 

south  side  of  the  creek.  Even  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances  the  maintenance  of  such  a 
structure  is  a  matter  of  continual  expense.  In  this 
instance,  the  annual  expenditure  was  considera- 
bly enhanced  by  reason  of  the  exposed  situation 
and  the  danger  to  life  and  limb,  incident  to  the  care 
and  repair  of  the  flume.  The  liability  of  interrup- 
tion to  the  flow  of  water  by  ice,  was  also,  fre- 
quently the  cause  of  serious  annoyance  in  winter. 

To  remedy  these  difficulties,  Mr.  Cornell  pro- 
posed the  plan  of  excavating  a  tunnel  through  the 
solid  rock,  a  distance  of  several  hundred  feet,  so 
as  to  convey  the  water,  by  an  uninterrupted  flow, 
over  a  rocky  bed,  from  the  channel  of  the  creek 
above  the  falls,  directly  to  the  mills,  thus  whol- 
ly dispensing  with  the  wooden  structure.  The 
mill-owners,  though  at  first  somewhat  skeptical  as 
to  the  success  of  the  project,  were  finally  con- 
vinced of  its  entire  practicability,  and  were  thereby 
induced  to  provide  the  necessary  means,  with 
which  the  work  should  be  executed.  Mr.  Cornell 
was  thereupon  duly  installed  as  engineer-in-chief 
of  the  undertaking,  although  without  previous  ex- 
perience and  quite  unacquainted  with  work  of  the 
character  projected. 

The  excavation  was  begun  and  prosecuted  from 
each  end,  and  such  was  the  correctness  of  cal- 
culations, that  when  the  opening  was  made  in 


52  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  centre,  between  the  two  sections  of  the  tunnel, 
it  was  found  that  the  variation  was  less  than  two 
inches  from  an  exact  line.  The  enterprise  was 
successfully  completed  at  a  cost  considerably 
within  the  estimates  originally  made,  and  was  put 
into  practical  use,  to  the  great  advantage  of 
the  mill  privileges  dependent  upon  this  particular 
supply  of  water.  This  important  improvement, 
finished  in  1831,  has  for  more  than  fifty  years, 
admirably  served  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
designed,  and  still  continues  in  operation  with  un- 
impaired usefulness,  a  lasting  monument  to  the 
wisdom  and  foresight  of  its  projector,  and  the  en- 
terprise of  the  proprietors  who  ventured  the  in- 
vestment. 

The  tunnel  has  already  entered  upon  the  sec- 
ond half  of  the  first  century  of  its  existence,  and 
so  far,  without  apparent  depreciation,  thus  giving 
promise  of  serving  future  generations  quite  as 
usefully.  It  would  be  difficult,  and  indeed  quite 
impossible,  to  make  any  definite  estimate  of  the 
money  value  of  this  work ;  but  aside  from  the 
material  advantage  of  freedom  from  interruption 
in  the  supply  of  water,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that 
the  cost  of  opening  the  tunnel  has  been  saved 
many  times,  over  and  again,  by  abandoning  the 
wooden  flume,  with  its  constant  burden  of  expense 
for  maintenance  and  renewals. 


FALL    CREEK  SCENERY.  53 

The  wild  and  romantic  features  of  the  gorge 
and  cataracts  of  Fall  Creek,  have  ever  been  a 
source  of  attraction  for  strangers  visiting  Ithaca, 
of  whom  thousands  annually  seek  and  clamber 
along  its  rugged  banks.  No  part  of  the  bold  and 
weird  scenery  is  more  interesting  than  the  "Tun- 
nel," which,  however,  long  since  ceased  to  be  re- 
garded or  spoken  of  as  the  work  of  man,  but  by 
casual  visitors  is  considered,  simply,  as  part  of 
the  Fall  Creek  wonders,  and  without  stopping  to 
inquire,  they  take  it  for  granted  that  it  is  the 
work  of  the  Great  Architect  who  designed  the 
adjoining  cataract.  Another  very  important  step 
for  improving  the  Fall  Creek  water-power,  was 
the  construction  of  a  stone  dam,  on  the  stream 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  the  tunnel, 
by  which  a  reservoir,  covering  an  area  of  some 
twenty  acres,  was  created  for  the  retention  of 
the  surplus  water  of  the  creek.  This  work  also 
was  constructed  under  the  supervision  of  Mr. 
Cornell,  in  1838,  and  has  ever  since  been  known 
as  the  Beebe  Dam. 

In  addition  to  his  milling  interests,  Colonel  Bee- 
be  was  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Beebe, 
Munn,  &  Mack,  merchants  engaged  in  general 
trade  at  Ithaca,  and  doing  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. With  his  time  largely  occupied  in  the  con- 
duct of  his  mercantile  affairs,  and  in  the  care 


54  EZRA    CORNELL. 

of  an  invalid  wife,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  at- 
tached, it  was  quite  natural  that  the  management 
of  the  milling  business  should  have  been  left 
largely  to  the  direction  of  Mr.  Cornell,  who  had 
already  proved  himself  abundantly  qualified  for 
its  successful  prosecution.  Colonel  Beebe  was  a 
man  of  peculiar  temperament,  impulsive  but  gen- 
erous to  a  degree,  and  he  soon  learned  to  repose 
the  fullest  confidence  in  the  fidelity  and  wise  dis- 
cretion of  his  manager. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the  earnest 
and  faithful  manner  in  which  Mr.  Cornell  devoted 
himself  to  the  interest  of  his  employer  throughout 
his  prolonged  term  of  service,  should  have  been 
the  means  of  establishing  between  them  a  cor- 
dial and  sincere  friendship,  which  was  continued 
without  interruption  until  terminated  by  the  death 
of  the  latter,  covering  altogether,  a  period  of  more 
than  thirty  years.  In  the  later  years  of  Colonel 
Beebe's  life,  when  he  had  suffered  financial  re- 
verses and  was  in  sore  need,  this  friendship 
served  him  a  good  purpose,  as  it  was  Mr.  Cornell's 
privilege  to  be  able  to  furnish  employment  to 
his  former  patron,  and  in  many  ways  to  smooth 
the  pathway  of  his  declining  years. 

Though  but  just  past  his  majority  at  the  pe- 
riod of  the  commencement  of  his  residence  at 
Fall  Creek,  Mr.  Cornell,  by  intelligent  and  well- 


POLITICAL   ACTIVITY.  55 

directed  participation  in  public  affairs,  very  soon 
gained  an  influential  position  in  the  community, 
which  was  continually  augmented  as  the  years 
passed  by.  Enterprising  and  public-spirited,  he 
took  an  active  part  in  support  of  all  measures, 
calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  village. 
He  was  especially  active  in  improving  the  ed- 
ucational facilities  of  the  place,  and  was  largely 
instrumental  in  placing  them  upon  a  higher  and 
constantly  ascending  grade.  Through  his  influ- 
ence, a  local  school  was  established  at  Fall  Creek, 
which,  under  the  direction  of  able  teachers,  speed- 
ily became  an  important  factor  in  the  intellectual 
development  of  the  rising  generation. 

In  the  political  divisions  of  the  day,  Mr.  Cornell 
was  an  ardent  Whig,  and  in  the  local  counsels  of 
that  party,  he  exercised  a  potent  influence.  He 
was  a  devoted  friend  and  admirer  of  William  H. 
Seward,  and  in  the  several  campaigns  in  which 
that  gentleman  was  the  candidate  of  his  party  for 
Governor,  he  labored  zealously  for  the  promotion 
of  his  friend.  In  the  celebrated  hard-cider  and 
log-cabin  campaign  of  1840,  he  applied  himself 
with  great  earnestness  to  the  support  of  "Tippe- 
canoe  and  Tyler  too." 

The  sudden  and  lamented  death  of  General 
Harrison,  so  soon  after  his  elevation  to  the  Presi- 
dency, and  the  speedy  alienation  of  the  acting 


56  EZRA    CORNELL. 

President  from  the  great  bulk  of  the  party,  which 
had  so  vigorously  supported  the  successful  candi- 
dates, were  to  Mr.  Cornell,  as  to  so  many  other  ac- 
tive young  Whigs,  a  terrible  loss  and  sore  disap- 
pointment, which  resulted  in  greatly  cooling  his 
political  ardor.  Although  continuing  his  asso- 
ciation with  the  Whig  party,  and  subsequently 
with  the  Republican  party,  he  was  never  after- 
ward able  to  arouse  himself  to  the  political  enthu- 
siasm of  the  great  hard-cider  campaign. 

The  withdrawal  of  Colonel  Beebe  from  active 
business,  and  the  conversion  of  the  mill  property 
into  a  woollen  factory,  left  Mr.  Cornell  without  em- 
ployment, and  owing  to  the  depressed  condition 
of  financial  affairs  at  the  time,  he  did  not  readily 
find  other  occupation.  While  to  a  man  of  less 
energy  and  force  of  character,  such  a  circumstance 
might  prove  a  serious  misfortune,  in  his  case  it 
proved  to  be  the  turning-point  in  his  life,  which, 
being  advantageously  utilized,  led  him  to  both 
fame  and  fortune.  Had  the  milling  business  been 
continued  without  interruption,  whether  by  Colonel 
Beebe  or  by  others,  the  probability  is  that  Mr. 
Cornell  would  have  remained  as  its  manager,  and, 
very  likely,  he  would  have  ended  his  life  in  that 
service. 

It  is  a  common  saying,  that,  what  seems  a  mis- 
fortune often  proves  to  be  really  a  blessing  in  dis- 


OUT  OF  EMPLOYMENT.  S7 

guise,  and  thus  it  certainly  happened  in  this  case. 
To  be  suddenly  thrown  out  of  a  position  to 
which  one  had  long  been  accustomed,  and  partic- 
ularly where  a  young  and  helpless  family  was 
dependent  on  the  daily  earnings  of  its  head,  the 
situation  was  serious.  When,  added  to  all  this, 
was  the  fact  that  other  employment  could  not  be 
found,  and  the  question  of  daily  bread  threatened 
soon  to  present  itself  for  solution,  the  gravity  of 
the  case  was  largely  enhanced. 

Such  were  the  circumstances  in  which  Mr.  Cor- 
nell found  himself  placed  in  1841.  Fortunately 
for  him  and  his  family,  and  especially  fortunate  for 
the  future  growth  and  prosperity  of  Ithaca,  he 
was  forced  to  seek  elsewhere  opportunity  for  busi- 
ness ;  and,  by  a  curious  combination  of  circum- 
stances, he  was  thrown  into  contact  with  the  men 
who  were  just  then  casting  about  with  the  infant 
telegraph  in  their  keeping,  quite  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  to  utilize  the  grand  instrumentality,  which 
was  destined  to  revolutionize  the  social  and  com- 
mercial customs  of  the  entire  civilized  world. 
Mr.  Cornell's  quick  practical  comprehension  en- 
abled him  to  solve  the  question  which  was  puz- 
zling these  wise  men  as  to  the  proper  mode  of  con- 
structing the  telegraph  lines,  and  he  speedily 
made  himself  indispensable  to  the  development 
of  the  new  enterprise.  At  the  age  of  thirty-six, 


58  EZRA   CORNELL. 

he  thus  stepped  forth  from  the  narrow  path  he  had 
previously  trod,  and  with  but  little  delay  entered 
upon  a  career,  which  was  not  only  a  grand  suc- 
cess for  himself,  but  equally  beneficial  to  the 
country  at  large. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MARRIAGE. 

Elijah  Cornell  and  Benjamin  Wood. — A  prolonged  Friendship. — 
Notable  Visit. — "  Woodlawn." — Mary  Ann  Wood  Born,  1811. 
— Marriage  Engagement. — Married,  March  19,  1831. — House- 
keeping.— Early  Home. — Nine  Children,  of  whom  five  Sur- 
vive.— Quaker  Discipline. — Telegraph  Enterprise. — Absence 
from  Home. — Success  in  Business. — "  Forest  Park." — Do- 
mestic Felicity. 

DURING  the  period  of  his  first  residence  in  De 
Ruyter,  Elijah  Cornell  was  engaged  during  the 
winter  seasons  in  teaching  the  district  school  in 
Quaker  Basin.  Among  the  older  boys  in  attend- 
ance at  the  school  in  1808,  was  one  who,  by 
manly  qualities  and  respectful  deportment,  as  well 
as  by  earnest  efforts  to  improve  the  educational 
advantages  thus  offered,  won  the  especial  regard 
and  confidence  of  his  teacher.  This  favorite  pupil 
was  Benjamin  Wood,  whose  parents  had,  a  few 
years  earlier,  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island.  The  acquaintance  then  begun  between 
the  teacher  and  scholar,  ripened  into  a  mutual 
friendship  which  was  continued  without  interrup- 


60  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tion  throughout  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  and 
it  became  in  after  years  their  custom  to  visit  each 
other,  whenever  circumstances  brought  either  of 
them  within  the  vicinity  of  the  other's  place  of 
residence. 

On  one  occasion,  when  at  Ithaca  on  a  business 
trip,  Mr.  Cornell  invited  his  son  Ezra  to  accom- 
pany him  on  a  visit  to  the  home  of  his  friend 
Mr.  Wood,  who  had  some  years  previously  lo- 
cated in  the  town  of  Dryden,  Tompkins  County, 
distant  some  six  miles  from  Ithaca.  This  chance 
visit,  which  occurred  in  the  third  year  of  his 
employment  at  Ithaca,  was  destined  to  exert  an 
important  influence  in  all  of  the  future  course  of 
the  young  man,  as  it  was  the  beginning  of  his 
acquaintance  with  the  young  lady,  who  was  to 
become  the  partner  of  his  domestic  life.  Mr. 
Wood's  second  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  was  then 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  it  was  by  no  means 
strange  that  an  attachment  of  more  than  passing 
interest  was  soon  formed  between  her  and  the  son 
of  her  father's  friend,  which,  ere  long,  resulted  in 
a  marriage  engagement.  Both  families  were  grat- 
ified with  the  proposed  alliance,  and  the  old-time 
friendship  was  rendered  still  more  cordial  and  in- 
timate. 

Benjamin  Wood  was  a  native  of  Scituate,  Prov- 
idence County,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  born  October 


BENJAMIN  WOOD.  6 1 

14,  1789.  He  was  a  son  of  Nathan  Wood,  and 
the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Amy  Ham- 
mond. In  youth  he  had  been  bred  to  the  trade 
of  reed  making,  and  was  an  expert  mechanic. 
In  those  days — before  the  advent  of  the  great 
woollen  and  cotton  factories — the  weaver's  reed 
was  in  demand  in  almost  every  well-regulated 
farmer's  household,  where  the  home-grown  wool 
was  converted  into  cloth  and  blankets  for  domestic 
use.  Mr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage  at  De 
Ruyter,  June  12,  1808,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Philip 
Bonesteel  and  Elizabeth  Ray.  She  was  born  at 
Florida,  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  October  2. 
1790.  The  young  couple  continued  to  reside  in 
DeRuyter  some  five  years  after  their  marriage, 
when  they  removed  to  the  husband's  native  place 
in  Rhode  Island,  and  there  remained  two  or 
three  years. 

Finding  the  change  unsatisfactory,  the  family 
returned  to  the  State  of  New  York,  and  after 
spending  two  years  in  the  town  of  Sherburne, 
Chenango  County,  they  located  at  Willow  Glen, 
near  Dry  den  Village,  in  Tompkins  County,  where 
they  also  resided  about  two  years.  In  1819 
Mr.  Wood  contracted  for  the  purchase  of  a  tract 
of  land  in  the  western  portion  of  the  town  of 
Dryden,  and  determined  to  make  it  his  permanent 
home.  This  land  was  then  covered  with  a  heavy 


62  EZRA    CORNELL. 

pine  forest,  which  with  his  own  hand  he  cleared, 
and  brought  into  cultivation  a  farm,  that,  under 
his  energetic  and  thrifty  management,  became  one 
of  the  most  desirable  homesteads  in  the  county. 
He  afterward  established  on  the  place  a  manufac- 
tory for  the  production  of  weavers'  reeds,  which 
proved  a  profitable  accompaniment  to  his  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  furnishing  as  it  did  favorable  occu- 
pation for  the  intervals  of  other  work. 

At  the  period  of  his  settlement  on  the  "  Wood- 
lawn  "  farm,  as  the  estate  is  now  widely  known, 
Mr.  Wood's  worldly  possessions  consisted  prin- 
cipally of  the  tools  of  his  trade,  and  a  very  mod- 
erate equipment  of  household  furniture  and 
personal  effects.  Purchasing  his  land  on  credit, 
by  industry  and  frugality  he  was  enabled  to  pay 
for  his  property,  and  to  support,  and  educate  in 
superior  manner,  a  family  of  eleven  children,  and  to 
improve  and  maintain  a  home  which,  during  all 
of  his  life-time,  was  the  pride  of  his  family.  Acting 
on  the  maxim  that  a  thing  worth  doing  should  be 
well  done,  he  was  in  all  of  his  farming  operations 
enterprising  and  painstaking.  His  buildings  and 
fences  were  uniformly  in  good  repair,  and  his  fields 
demonstrated  excellent  tillage. 

In  every  relation  of  life — as  a  citizen,  as  a  neigh- 
bor, and  also  in  his  family — Benjamin  Wood  was 
universally  esteemed.  It  is  entirely  within  bounds 


MARY  ANN  WOOD.  63 

to  state  that  no  man  ever  lived  in  the  town  of 
Dryden,  who  was  more  generally  respected,  or 
more  completely  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  the  community.  In  business  affairs  he 
was  prudent,  orderly,  and  thoroughly  reliable, 
while  with  all  with  whom  he  had  dealings  his 
word  was  equal  to  his  bond.  He  was  the  best  of 
husbands,  and  no  father  was  ever  more  devotedly 
loved  and  reverenced  by  a  family  of  children.  Mr. 
Wood  after  only  a  very  brief  illness,  entered  his 
final  rest  at  Woodlawn,  May  16,  1858,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years  and  seven  months.  His  wife 
survived  him  nearly  twenty  years,  ten  of  which 
she  continued  to  reside  at  Woodlawn.  During 
the  last  ten  years  of  her  life,  she  made  her  home 
with  her  youngest  daughter,  at  Ithaca,  where  she 
died,  February  20,  1878,  at  the  mature  age  of 
eighty-seven.  Eminently  domestic  in  her  tastes 
and  habits,  she  was  regarded  with  tenderest  affec- 
tion by  her  husband  and  family. 

Children  to  the  number  of  eleven,  of  whom 
seven  were  daughters  and  four  sons,  resulted  from 
the  matrimonial  union  of  Benjamin  and  Mary 
Wood.  All  of  them  lived  to  reach  the  age  of  ma- 
turity. The  second  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  was 
born  at  De  Ruyter,  Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  April 
25,  1811.  She  was  eight  years  of  age  when  her 
parents  located  at  Woodlawn,  and  although  she 


64  EZRA    CORNELL. 

had  taken  lessons  both  at  Sherburne  and  at  Wil- 
low Glen,  the  most  of  her  education  was  acquired 
at  the  district  school  in  the  Snyder  neighbor- 
hood. It  was  during  her  attendance  at  this  place, 
that  the  now  venerable-appearing  octagonal  brick 
school-house  was  erected  and  first  occupied.  For 
several  years  she  and  her  elder  sister,  Almira, 
were  permitted  to  attend  school  only  on  alter- 
nate weeks — one  of  them  being  required  to  assist 
their  mother  in  the  discharge  of  her  domestic 
duties. 

In  conformity  with  their  engagement,  the  mar- 
riage of  Ezra  Cornell  and  Mary  Ann  Wood  was 
celebrated  at  "  Woodlawn,"  the  homestead  of 
Benjamin  Wood  in  the  town  of  Dryden,  Tomp- 
kins  County,  N.  Y.,  March  19,  1831.  Mr.  Cornell 
was  then  in  the  second  year  of  his  employment 
with  Colonel  Beebe  at  the  Fall  Creek  mills.  The 
wedded  pair  boarded  a  few  months  at  the  hotel 
at  Fall  Creek,  until  their  house  was  prepared  for 
occupation.  Mr.  Cornell  purchased  a  plot  of  sev- 
eral acres  just  north  of  the  mills,  on  which  he 
built  a  dwelling,  where  they  began  housekeeping 
during  the  summer  after  marriage.  This  con- 
tinued to  be  their  home  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  it  was  here  that  their  nine  children 
were  born.  Of  these,  three  sons  died  in  infancy, 
and  the  eldest  daughter,  a  beautiful  and  interest- 


QUAKER  DISCIPLINE.  65 

ing  girl,  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen.     Three  sons 
and  two  daughters  were  raised  to  mature  years. 

Until  his  marriage,  Ezra  Cornell,  both  from  his 
own  inclination  and  the  influence  of  his  parents, 
always  identified  himself  with  the  religious  asso- 
ciations of  his  ancestry,  and  was  a  regular  atten- 
dant at  the  Friends'  meetings  when  in  their  vicin- 
ity. There  was  no  organization  of  this  kind  at 
Ithaca,  but  ever  on  his  return  to  De  Ruyter,  he 
was  prompt  in  attendance.  Having  married  a 
wife  who  was  not  a  member,  his  case  was  taken 
into  consideration  by  the  church  society  at  De 
Ruyter,  and  he  was  by  them  formally  excommu- 
nicated for  this  offence.  It  was,  however,  intima- 
ted that  in  case  he  should  apologize  for  having 
thus  offended,  and  express  proper  regret  there- 
for, he  would  receive  pardon  and  be  reinstated. 
This  he  declined  to  do,  and  therefore  continued 
under  the  ban  of  condemnation.  He  had  been 
too  well  grounded  in  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  to  be 
thus  cast  away,  and  so  was  always  firm  in  his 
belief  and  sympathy.  In  intercourse  with  his 
parents  and  with  members  of  the  sect,  he  was 
careful  at  all  times  to  use  the  phrases  of  address 
customary  with  Friends,  and  though  he  seldom 
conversed  on  the  subject,  it  was  in  many  ways 
manifest  that  he  remained  throughout  his  entire 
life,  a  faithful  and  consistent  disciple  of  the  Friends' 

5 


66  EZRA    CORNELL. 

religious  creed.  He  believed  that  it  was  a  question 
between  him  and  his  Heavenly  Father,  and  that 
no  body  of  men  and  women,  could  say  that  he 
should  not  commune  with  his  Maker  in  accord- 
ance with  his  convictions. 

The  first  ten  years  of  married  life  with  the 
young  people,  passed  without  unusual  incident. 
Mr.  Cornell  continued  in  the  service  of  Colonel 
Beebe,  and  took  much  interest  at  leisure  intervals 
in  improving  his  home,  and  by  the  cultivation 
of  choice  fruit.  The  diversion  of  Fall  Creek  mills 
to  other  uses  in  1841,  deprived  Mr.  Cornell  of 
his  vocation,  and  on  account  of  the  dull  times 
then  prevailing,  he  was  unable  to  find  satisfactory 
employment  at  home.  He  was  therefore  obliged 
to  seek  business  abroad,  in  which,  after  some 
serious  discouragements,  he  was  successful  be- 
yond all  expectation. 

He  became  interested  in  the  introduction  and 
development  of  the  Magnetic  Telegraph,  which 
for  the  dozen  years  following,  required  him  to  be 
absent  from  home  a  large  portion  of  the  time.  His 
family  retained  their  residence  at  their  original 
homestead  until  1852,  when  they  removed  into  the 
village  of  Ithaca,  and  there  resided  until  1857. 
In  the  latter  year,  Mr.  Cornell,  having  withdrawn 
from  the  active  management  of  his  telegraph  in- 
terests, purchased  the  "Forest  Park"  property, 


DOMESTIC  FELICITY.  67 

and  here  established  a  new  homestead.  He  ac- 
quired nearly  three  hundred  acres  of  land  adjoin- 
ing, and  for  several  years  took  great  pleasure  in 
the  building  up  of  a  fine  herd  of  short-horn  cattle. 
A  few  years  later,  upon  the  organization  of  the 
Cornell  University,  he  donated  the  principal  por- 
tion of  this  beautiful  farm  to  that  institution,  re- 
taining only  some  twenty- five  acres  for  his  own 
use. 

The  dwelling-house  at  Forest  Park  not  fully 
meeting  the  demands  of  modern  times,  Mr.  Cornell 
determined  to  erect  a  new  one  as  a  permanent 
family  residence.  Pending  the  construction  of 
this  edifice,  he  found  it  convenient  to  reside  in 
the  village  of  Ithaca,  occupying  the  large  brick 
dwelling  at  the  corner  of  Tioga  and  Seneca  Streets, 
opposite  the  Cornell  Library.  This  was  his  home 
from  the  spring  of  1869,  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  this  house  in  December,  1874. 

Rarely  does  it  happen  to  man  to  find  more 
perfect  satisfaction  in  his  marital  relations,  than 
Mr.  Cornell  enjoyed,  during  the  more  than  forty 
years  of  his  married  life.  Often  and  again  he  has 
been  heard  to  attribute  his  prosperity  in  life,  to  the 
assistance  and  encouragement  which  he  received 
from  his  wife.  In  the  early  days,  she  was  the 
companion  of  his  joys  and  sorrows,  while  in  the 
years  of  his  great  struggle  with  fortune,  she  was 


68  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  inspiring  spirit  at  home,  in  the  care  of  his 
young  family,  ever  faithful,  ever  patient  and  cheer- 
ful, with  firm  confidence  in  his  final  and  complete 
success.  Thus  sustained  at  home,  with  high  hope 
he  labored  on,  until  after  long  toil  and  struggle, 
he  was  enabled  to  triumph  over  obstacles  which 
sometimes  seemed  almost  insurmountable,  and 
finally  to  retire  from  active  business  with  a  for- 
tune far  greater  than  he  had  ever  hoped  for.  Nor 
was  he  more  loyally  supported  by  his  wife,  in  the 
building  up  of  his  great  fortune,  than  in  the  devo- 
tion of  a  large  proportion  of  it  to  the  noble  in- 
stitutions of  learning  he  founded,  which  will  carry 
his  name  with  undiminished  lustre,  to  a  long  line 
of  future  generations. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

SEEKING   BUSINESS. 

Financial  Crisis,  1837. — Business  Prostration. — Out  of  Employ- 
ment.— Barnaby  and  Mooers'  Patent  Plow. — Trip  to  Maine, 
1842. — Hon.  F.  O.  J.  Smith. — First  Acquaintance. — Visits 
Georgia. — Fifteen  Hundred  Miles  on  Foot. — Return  Home. — 
Second  Visit  to  Maine. — Renewal  of  Acquaintance. — A  Pecu- 
liar Machine  Wanted. — The  Telegraph. — A  New  Invention. 
— First  Meeting  with  Professor  Morse. — Successful  Experi- 
ment.— Engagement  in  Telegraph  Enterprise. — Proceeds  to 
New  York. — Criticising  Imperfect  Pipe. — Warning  Unheeded. 

THE  great  monetary  crisis  of  1836-37,  will  long 
be  remembered  in  consequence  of  the  wide-spread 
disaster  visited  upon  commercial  activities  through- 
out the  entire  country.  While  the  violence  of 
the  financial  storm  gradually  subsided,  it  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  paralysis  of  industrial  interests,  which 
continued  for  several  years.  Labor  was  in  slight 
demand,  and  consequently  every  avenue  to  em- 
ployment was  crowded  with  applicants.  Such 
was  the  condition  of  affairs  in  1841,  when,  by  the 
retirement  of  Colonel  Beebe  from  milling  opera- 
tions at  Fall  Creek,  Mr.  Cornell  found  himself 
without  occupation. 


70  EZRA    CORNELL. 

For  some  months  he  endeavored  to  find  new 
business,  but  without  satisfactory  results,  and,  as 
an  alternative,  he  purchased  from  his  neighbors, 
Messrs.  Barnaby  &  Mooers,  the  patent  rights  for 
the  States  of  Maine  and  Georgia,  of  an  improved 
plow  which  they  had  recently  invented,  and  de- 
termined to  visit  those  States,  for  the  purpose  of 
selling  the  interests  thus  acquired.  Mr.  Cornell, 
therefore,  in  1842,  proceeded  to  Maine,  with  the 
object  of  introducing  the  new  invention  to  the 
farmers  of  that  State,  and,  as  a  preliminary,  sought 
the  acquaintance  of  the  editor  of  the  Maine  Farm- 
er, an  agricultural  paper  of  considerable  influence, 
then  published  at  Portland,  presuming  that  fav- 
orable notice  therein  would  be  his  best  intro- 
duction to  the  more  intelligent  citizens.  The 
editor  and  publisher  of  this  paper  proved  to  be 
the  Hon.  Francis  O.  J.  Smith,  then  a  member  of 
Congress  from  the  Portland  district,  and  a  man 
of  much  influence  in  the  State  of  Maine.  Con- 
vinced of  its  merits,  Mr.  Smith  became  a  ready 
advocate  of  the  new  plow,  and  strongly  com- 
mended it  to  the  attention  of  his  readers.  Very 
cordial  relations  were  speedily  established  between 
Mr.  Cornell,  and  the  editor  of  the  Maine  Farmer, 
and  the  office  of  that  paper,  became  the  head- 
quarters of  the  stranger,  during  the  several  months 
of  his  tarry  in  the  State. 


VISITS   GEORGIA.  T\ 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Cornell, 
went  to  Georgia,  with  the  purpose  of  interesting 
the  agriculturists  of  that  State  in  the  use  of 
the  new  plow.  At  that  time  the  facilities  for 
travel  in  the  Southern  States,  were  very  meagre, 
there  being  no  railroads  and  the  stages  were  quite 
primitive.  From  Washington  to  Augusta,  Ga., 
he  proceeded  on  foot,  making  an  average  of 
forty  miles  each  day.  He  travelled  in  like  man- 
ner, largely  through  Georgia,  and  as  far  as  Wash- 
ington on  his  return,  making  a  distance  of  about 
fifteen  hundred  miles.  He  had  a  threefold  object 
in  determining  upon  this  mode  of  travelling ; 
first,  economy ;  second,  that  he  could  choose  his 
own  route ;  and  third,  that  walking  was  ever  to 
him  a  pleasure  and  privilege.  He  was  not  much 
encouraged  by  the  reception  that  was  accorded  to 
his  presentation  of  the  plow  in  the  South,  and  re- 
turned home  without  having  accomplished  any- 
thing satisfactory  in  that  region. 

After  spending  a  few  months  at  home  with  his 
family,  Mr.  Cornell,  in  July,  1843,  proceeded  again 
to  Maine,  to  close  up  the  plow  interests  in  that 
State,  which  he  had  left  uncompleted  the  preceding 
year.  This  journey  also,  was  made  on  foot  from 
Ithaca  to  Albany,  covering  the  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  miles  in  four  days.  From  Albany 
he  travelled  by  railway  to  Boston,  thence  on  foot 


72  EZRA    CORNELL. 

to  Portland,  one  hundred  miles  in  two  and  a  half 
days.  In  writing  of  this  trip  he  said:  "  Travelling 
on  foot  has  always  been  a  source  of  great  enjoy- 
ment to  me.  If  I  had  the  time  to  spend  in  pleas- 
ure travel,  I  should  prefer  to  walk  if  I  could  make 
satisfactory  arrangement  for  the  transit  of  my 
baggage.  Nature  can  in  no  way  be  so  rationally 
enjoyed,  as  through  the  opportunities  afforded  the 
pedestrian." 

On  arrival  at  Portland,  he  lost  no  time  in  calling 
at  the  office  of  the  Maine  Farmer,  to  renew  his 
acquaintance  with  the  Hon.  F.  O.  J.  Smith.  As 
the  circumstances  which  followed  this  visit,  re- 
sulted in  establishing  Mr.  Cornell's  permanent 
connection  with  the  telegraph  enterprise,  it  will 
be  interesting  to  quote  from  his  own  description 
of  the  interview,  which  he  afterward  wrote  in  his 
memorandum  book.  He  says:  "  I  found  Smith 
on  his  knees  in  the  middle  of  his  office  floor  with 
a  piece  of  chalk  in  his  hand,  the  mold-board  of  a 
plow  lying  by  his  side,  and  with  various  chalk- 
marks  on  the  floor  before  him.  He  was  earnestly 
engaged  in  trying  to  explain  some  plan  or  idea  of 
his  own  to  a  plow  manufacturer,  who  stood  look- 
ing on  with  his  good-natured  face  enveloped  in  a 
broad  grin  that  denoted  his  skepticism  in  refer- 
ence to  Smith's  plans.  On  my  entrance,  Mr. 
Smith  arose,  and  grasping  me  cordially  by  the 


NEW  MACHINE    WANTED.  73 

hand,  said :  '  Cornell,  you  are  the  very  man  I 
wanted  to  see.  I  have  been  trying  to  explain  to 
neighbor  Robertson,  a  machine  that  I  want  made, 
but  I  cannot  make  him  understand  it,'  and  pro- 
ceeding, he  explained  that  he  wanted  '  a  kind  of 
scraper,  or  machine  for  digging  a  ditch,  that  will 
leave  the  dirt  deposited  on  each  side,  convenient 
to  be  used  for  filling  the  ditch  by  means  of  another 
machine.  It  is  for  laying  our  telegraph  pipe  un- 
derground. The  ditch  must  be  two  feet  deep,  and 
wide  enough  to  enable  us  to  lay  the  pipe  in  the 
bottom,  and  then  cover  it  with  the  earth.  Con- 
gress has  appropriated  $30,000  to  enable  Profes- 
sor Morse  to  test  the  practicability  of  his  tele- 
graph on  a  line  between  Washington  and  Balti- 
more. I  have  taken  the  contract  to  lay  the  pipe 
at  $100  per  mile,  and  must  have  some  kind  of  a 
machine  to  enable  me  to  do  the  work  at  any  such 
price.' 

"  An  examination  of  a  specimen  of  the  pipe 
to  be  laid,  which  Mr.  Smith  showed  us,  and  a 
little  reflection,  convinced  me  that  he  did  not  want 
two  machines,  as  he  said,  one  to  excavate,  and  the 
other  to  fill  the  trench  after  the  pipe  was  depos- 
ited. I,  therefore,  with  my  pencil  sketched  a  rough 
diagram  of  a  machine  that  seemed  to  me  adapted 
to  his  necessities.  It  provided  that  the  pipe,  with 
the  wires  enclosed  therein,  was  to  be  coiled  around 


74  EZRA    CORNELL. 

a  drum  or  reel,  from  whence  it  was  to  pass  down 
through  a  hollow  standard,  protected  by  shives, 
directly  in  the  rear  of  a  coulter  or  cutter,  which 
was  so  arranged  as  to  cut  a  furrow  two  and  a  half 
feet  deep  and  one  and  one-fourth  inch  wide.  Ar- 
ranged something  like  a  plow,  it  was  to  be  drawn 
by  a  powerful  team,  and  to  deposit  the  pipe  in 
the  bottom  of  the  furrow,  as  it  moved  along.  The 
furrow  beinij  so  narrow  would  soon  close  itself 

o 

and  conceal  the  pipe  from  view. 

"  Mr.  Smith  examined  the  diagram  and  listened 
to  my  explanation,  but  could  not  see  how  it  would 
work.  I  was  entirely  convinced  of  the  practical 
working  of  the  plan  and  so  insisted.  The  day 
was  spent  in  discussing  the  various  objections 
raised  by  Mr.  Smith,  and  we  finally  separated  for 
the  night,  with  his  doubts  as  firm  as  ever.  Upon 
coming  together  again  in  the  morning,  he  was  still 
more  an  unbeliever,  while  my  confidence  had 
greatly  increased,  as  the  result  of  my  reflection. 
He  finally,  however,  without  much  confidence  or 
hope  of  success,  proposed  that  I  should  construct 
a  machine  in  accordance  with  my  plan.  He  said : 
'  I  will  pay  the  expense,  whether  successful  or  not, 
and  if  successful,  I  will  pay  you  $50,  or  $100,  or 
any  other  price  you  may  name.  The  price  is  a 
matter  of  no  consequence  if  the  machine  is  suc- 
cessful.' 


PROFESSOR   MORSE.  75 

"  I  finally  engaged  to  build  the  proposed  ma- 
chine, and  commenced  work  at  once  in  a  machine- 
shop  in  which  Smith  obtained  permission  for  me 
to  work.  I  made  the  patterns  for  the  necessary 
castings,  and  while  these  and  the  other  iron  work 

o     / 

were  being  made,  I  employed  my  time  in  making 
the  wood-work  for  the  frame.  As  the  work  pro- 
gressed, Smith's  confidence  in  its  success  rose  to 
a  point  which  induced  him  to  write  to  Professor 
Morse  in  New  York,  and  invite  him  to  witness 
the  trial  of  the  machine.  The  invitation  was  ac- 
cepted, and  the  Professor  arrived  about  the  time 
we  had  completed  our  work.  He  visited  the  shop 
and  inspected  the  machine,  and  expressed  satis- 
faction with  its  appearance.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  my  personal  acquaintance  with  Professor 
Morse. 

"The  machine  was  finally  completed  on  the 
1 7th  of  August,  1843,  and,  on  the  igth,  we  made 
a  successful  trial  of  it  on  the  homestead  farm  of 
Mr.  Smith,  at  Westbrook,  a  few  miles  north  of 
Portland.  The  trial  was  made  with  a  team  con- 
sisting of  four  yoke  of  oxen,  brought  together  for 
the  occasion,  and  quite  unused  to  work  together. 
They  were  under  the  direction  of  a  '  son  of  sweet 
Erin,'  whose  lingo  was  Greek  to  their  ears.  He 
flourished  the  gad  vigorously,  and  soon  produced 
the  most  violent  disorder  with  the  cattle.  This 


76  EZRA    CORNELL. 

state  of  affairs  threw  Smith  into  a  condition  of 
great  nervous  excitement.  Soon,  however,  the 
Irishman  and  the  oxen  effected  a  compromise, 
when  the  latter  started  with  a  rush,  for  a  distance 
somewhat  greater  than  the  length  of  pipe  we 
had  on  the  drum  of  the  machine.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  when  the  driver  brought  his  team 
to  a  halt,  the  pipe  had  disappeared,  which  being 
discovered  by  Smith,  caused  him  anxiously  to  in- 
quire if  we  had  forgotten  to  put  the  pipe  in  the 
machine.  Professor  Morse  was  equally  bewil- 
dered by  the  turbulent  movements  of  the  animals 
and  their  driver,  and  hence  had  paid  as  little  atten- 
tion to  the  action  of  the  machine  as  Mr.  Smith 
had,  and  he  also  was  anxious  to  know  what  had 
become  of  the  pipe.  I  assured  them  that  the  pipe 
was  where  we  intended  it  should  be,  namely,  about 
eighteen  inches  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
With  an  expression  of  doubt  Smith  directed  the 
driver  to  get  a  spade  and  dig  for  the  pipe,  for 
which  he  proved  more  competent  than  driving 
oxen.  An  hour's  work  uncovered  the  pipe,  which 
we  again  coiled  on  the  drum  of  the  machine,  which 
was  then  gauged  for  two  feet  depth,  and  the  team 
started  for  a  second  trial.  Both  team  and  driver 
worked  more  kindly  this  time,  which  gave  a  bet- 
ter opportunity  to  observe  the  operation  of  the 
machine  in  depositing  the  pipe  in  the  earth, 


SUCCESSFUL  INVENTION.  77 

and  both  Professor  Morse,  and  Mr.  Smith,  ex- 
pressed their  admiration  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  work  was  accomplished.  This  experiment 
removed  all  doubt  from  their  minds  as  to  the 
practicability  of  laying  the  telegraph  conductors 
in  a  perfect  manner  at  a  minimum  cost.  The 
more  important  question  of  insulation  not  being 
fully  understood  or  appreciated  at  that  time, 
Professor  Morse  could  see  nothing  in  the  way 
of  immediate  success  for  his  great  enterprise, 
and  left  Portland  for  New  York  in  the  best  of 
spirits. 

"  The  complete  success  of  my  machine,  and  the 
prompt  manner  of  making  the  invention  the  mo- 
ment circumstances  demanded  its  use,  inspired 
Mr.  Smith  with  great  confidence  in  my  ability, 
both  as  a  mechanic  and  a  practical  man.  He, 
therefore,  urged  me  to  go  to  Baltimore  with  the 
machine  and  take  charge  of  laying  the  pipe  be- 
tween that  city  and  Washington.  As  this  propo- 
sition involved  the  abandonment  of  the  business 
which  I  had  come  to  Maine  to  look  after,  it  was 
with  some  hesitation  that  I  entertained  it.  A 
little  reflection,  however,  convinced  me  that  the 
telegraph  was  to  become  a  grand  enterprise,  and 
this  seemed  a  particularly  advantageous  oppor- 
tunity for  me  to  identify  myself  with  it.  Finally, 
convinced  that  it  would  surely  lead  me  on  the  road 


78  EZRA    CORNELL. 

to  fortune,  I  acceded  to  Mr.  Smith's  urgent  soli- 
citation and  engaged  to  undertake  the  work,  on 
condition  that  I  should  first  devote  a  little  time 
to  the  settlement  of  my  business  in  Maine.  This 
was  accomplished  in  about  six  weeks,  and  early 
in  October,  I  left  Portland  for  Baltimore,  via 
Boston  and  New  York. 

'*  On  arriving  in  New  York,  I  called  on  Profes- 
sor Morse  to  ascertain  how  soon  a  supply  of  pipe 
might  be  expected  at  Baltimore.  He  accompanied 
me  to  the  factory  of  Mr.  Serrell,  where  the  pipe 
was  being  manufactured.  The  process  of  manu- 
facture was  briefly  as  follows :  The  lead  was 
first  cast  in  ingots  eighteen  inches  in  length,  con- 
taining sufficient  metal  for  about  three  hundred 
feet  of  pipe,  leaving  a  hole  through  the  ingot  of 
proper  size  for  the  interior  of  the  pipe,  say  five- 
eighths  of  an  inch.  The  ingots  were  then  passed 
between  rollers,  by  which  they  were  drawn  to 
the  proper  size,  the  four  electrical  wires  being 
drawn  into  the  pipe  through  a  hollow  mandrel 
during  the  passage  of  the  ingots  through  the  rol- 
lers. These  were  No.  16  copper  wires  covered 
with  cotton  yarn  saturated  with  shellac,  each  wire 
being  covered  with  different  colored  yarn,  in  order 
to  be  identified  at  the  opposite  ends  of  the  pipe.  To 
insure  the  proper  insulation,  it  was  of  course  nec- 
essary that  the  pipe  should  be  water-tight,  and 


DEFECTIVE   PIPE.  79 

thus  exclude  dampness.  To  be  assured  of  this, 
when  completed  each  section  of  pipe  was  subjected 
to  test  by  an  air-pump,  and  if  it  would  sustain  a 
vacuum  it  was  passed  as  perfect.  The  ends 
were  then  soldered  to  hold  the  wires  in  place, 
and  the  pipe  placed  on  reels  ready  for  shipment. 
This  branch  of  the  work  was  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  Dr.  Fisher,  who  was  the  principal 
assistant  of  Professor  Morse.  Professor  Leonard 
D.  Gale  was  also  employed  as  a  scientific  assis- 
tant, and  Alfred  Vail  as  mechanical  assistant. 
They  were  each  employed  at  the  rate  of  $1,500 
per  annum. 

"  I  had  not  been  long-  in  the  factory  before  my 
attention  was  called  to  the  process  of  casting-  the 
ingots,  from  which  the  pipe  was  drawn  when  cold. 
I  thought  I  could  detect  air-bubbles  in  the  ingots, 
from  which  I  reasoned  that  the  pressure  of  the 
rollers  must  of  necessity  enlarge  these  defects,  and 
thus  leave  the  pipe  imperfect.  I  called  Professor 
Morse's  attention  to  the  subject,  and  asked  him  if 
there  was  not  danger  that  the  pipe  would  leak 
when  placed  in  the  ground.  He  replied,  '  Oh,  no; 
we  test  each  piece  of  pipe  with  the  air-pump. 
That  is  Dr.  Fisher's  especial  duty,  and  if  a  piece 
fails  to  sustain  a  vacuum  on  the  air-pump,  it  is  re- 
jected as  defective.'  I  told  him  I  thought  this 
test  deceptive,  and  suggested  that  a  force-pump 


80  EZRA    CORNELL. 

would  be  more  likely  to  expose  defects  from 
the  cause  apprehended.  My  warning  proved  of  no 
avail,  however,  at  the  time,  as  no  change  was  made 
in  the  mode  of  testing ;  but  my  opinion  was  fully 
vindicated  by  subsequent  events." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  TELEGRAPH. 

At  Baltimore,  1843. — Preparations  to  lay  Telegraph  Conductors. — 
Successof  Pipe  Laying. — Testing  the  Pipe. — Midnight  Exper- 
iments.— Defects  Discovered. — Pipe  laid  to  Relay  House. — 
Prof.  Morse's  Mysterious  Errand. — RespiteWanted. — A  queer 
Accident. — Broken  Plow. — Anxious  Conferences. — Critical 
Situation. — Appropriation  nearly  Exhausted. — Failure  Appre- 
hended.— Morse  and  Smith  Disagree. — Change  of  Pro- 
gramme.— Light  Wanted. — Subterranean  Line  Abandoned. — 
Poles  Adopted. — Line  Completed. — Successful  Operation. — 
Presidential  Nomination,  1844. — Congressmen  Astonished. 

FINDING  that  the  pipe  would  not  be  ready  for 
shipment  as  early  as  had  been  anticipated,  Mr. 
Cornell  remained  for  several  days  in  New  York, 
devoting  much  time  to  the  fair  of  the  American 
Institute,  which  greatly  interested  him.  On  Oc- 
tober 17,  1843,  ne  proceeded  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  was  soon  after  met  by  Mr.  Smith  to 
make  the  necessary  arrangements  to  commence 
laying  the  pipe.  Continuing  the  narrative  in  Mr. 
Cornell's  own  language,  he  proceeds  thus  :  "  After 
a  survey  of  the  locality,  it  was  determined  that 
the  most  eligible  place  for  laying  the  pipe  was  on 


82  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  line  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  between 
the  double  tracks.  In  selecting  a  team  to  draw 
the  plow,  Mr.  Smith  secured  a  large  and  elegant 
span  of  spirited  horses,  with  a  view  of  sending 
them  to  his  residence  near  Portland,  as  a  carriage 
team,  after  the  work  was  completed.  The  first 
day's  trial,  however,  convinced  us  that  they  could 
not  be  safely  or  usefully  employed  where  so  many 
trains  were  passing.  The  horses  were  accord- 
ingly rejected  and  their  places  supplied  by  an  eight 
mule  team,  which  answered  the  purpose  admirably. 
"  The  work  of  laying  the  pipe  was  commenced  in 
due  time  and  proceeded  satisfactorily  ;  the  ma- 
chine worked  perfectly,  and  we  were  enabled  to 
lay  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  each  day.  My  du- 
ties were  simply  to  direct  the  laying  of  the  pipe, 
leaving  the  connections  between  each  length  to  be 
made  by  men  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Vail, 
who  also  tested  the  wires  as  to  their  working  qual- 
ities. My  work  proceeded  much  faster  than  his, 
so  that  when  I  had  three  miles  laid,  only  one  mile 
had  been  connected  through.  By  this  time  I  had  be- 
come convinced  of  the  defects  in  the  pipe  sugges- 
ted to  Professor  Morse,  and  I  made  inquiries  as 
to  the  character  of  the  tests  which  were  being 
used.  Mr.  Vail  was  not  disposed  to  be  communi- 
cative, but  from  Mr.  Avery,  who  had  charge  of 
the  battery,  I  learned  that  they  were  accustomed 


MIDNIGHT  EXPERIMENT.  83 

to  attach  the  black  and  red  wires  to  the  battery 
and  then  apply  the  galvanometer  to  the  same 
wires  at  the  opposite  end.  Finding  the  current 
satisfactory,  the  same  test  was  then  applied  to  the 
other  two  wires.  I  told  Mr.  Avery  that  this  test 
did  not  prove  the  wires  to  be  properly  insulated, 
and  suggested  that  a  test  should  be  made  by  at- 
taching the  black  and  red  wires  to  the  battery  and 
then  to  connect  the  green  and  yellow  wires  with 
the  galvanometer.  He,  however,  declined  to  offer 
any  suggestions  to  Mr.  Vail,  who  appeared  very 
jealous  of  any  interference,  and  had  already  inti- 
mated to  Mr.  Avery  that  he  should  confine  him- 
self to  his  own  duties.  I  then  suggested  to  Mr. 
Avery  that  we  should  make  the  test  for  our  own 
satisfaction  that  evening,  which  after  considerable 
hesitation  he  agreed  to,  on  condition  that  we 
should  wait  until  midnight  in  order  to  avoid 
any  possible  observation.  Accordingly,  at  twelve 
o'clock  we  left  the  hotel  where  we  were  boarding, 
and  went  to  the  place  where  the  battery  was  .kept, 
and  attached  it  to  the  black  and  red  wires.  We 
then  proceeded  to  the  other  end,  a  mile  distant, 
and  attached  the  green  and  yellow  wires  to  the 
galvanometer.  This  gave  us  a  strong  current, 
proving  conclusively  that  imperfect  insulation  al- 
lowed the  current  to  escape  from  one  wire  to  an- 
other. This  was  the  first  positive  evidence  of  the 


84  EZRA    CORNELL. 

coming  failure,  and  on  our  return  hence,  I  urged 
upon  Mr.  Avery  the  importance  of  advising  Pro- 
fessor Morse  of  the  discovery ;  but  he  dared  not 
do  so,  and  I  accordingly  went  on  with  my  part  of 
the  work,  expecting  every  day  to  receive  orders 
to  suspend  laying  the  pipe.  Thus  matters  pro- 
ceeded until  we  had  completed  the  laying  of  pipe 
as  far  as  the  Relay  House,  about  ten  miles  from 
Baltimore,  when  about  five  o'clock  one  afternoon, 
as  a  train  arrived,  Professor  Morse  alighted  and 
walking  along  the  track  to  where  we  were  at 
work,  said  he  desired  to  speak  with  me  aside. 
Withdrawing  a  little  distance  from  the  men  en- 
gaged with  me,  he  said :  '  Mr.  Cornell,  can  you 
not  contrive  to  stop  this  work  for  a  few  days  in 
some  manner,  so  the  papers  will  not  know  that  it 
has  been  purposely  interrupted  ?  I  want  to  make 
some  experiments  before  any  more  pipe  is  laid.' 
This  was  a  summons  which  I  had  been  expecting 
for  several  days,  and  was  not,  therefore,  surprised 
by  it.  Replying  to  Professor  Morse  that  I  would 
comply  with  his  request,  I  stepped  back  to  the 
machine  and  said :  '  Hurrah,  boys,  whip  up  your 
mules,  we  must  lay  another  length  of  pipe  before 
we  quit  for  night.'  The  teamsters  cracked  their 
whips,  and  the  animals  started  at  a  lively  pace,  as 
I  grasped  the  handles  of  the  plow,  and  watching 
an  opportunity,  I  canted  it  over  so  as  to  catch  into 


ANXIOUS  CONFERENCE.  85 

a  point  of  rock,  breaking  the  machine  into  a  com- 
plete wreck.  The  following  morning's  papers 
gave  a  graphic  account  of  the  accident  which  had 
befallen  the  machine,  and  stated  that,  as  a  conse- 
quence, the  work  would  be  interrupted  a  week  or 
two,  until  the  necessary  repairs  could  be  made. 

"  Professor  Morse,  Mr.  Vail,  and  Mr.  Smith  had 
various  consultations  during  the  few  days  follow- 
ing, which  resulted  in  the  condemnation  of  the  cold 
ingot  pipe,  and  the  determination  to  substitute 
pipe  made  by  the  'hot  process.'  My  opinion 
was  not  sought,  and  my  only  duty  was  to  prolong 
the  machine  repairs  until  the  new  pipe  was  ready 
for  use.  When  this  came,  we  resumed  work  and 
laid  a  mile  of  the  new  pipe,  when  we  were  ordered 
to  suspend  further  laying,  until  it  could  be 
thoroughly  tested.  It  was  soon  discovered  that 
the  insulation  was  defective,  and  this  time  the  fault 
was  charged  to  the  undue  heating  of  the  hollow 
mandrels  through  which  the  wire  passed  into  the 
pipe.  This,  it  was  claimed  by  Mr.  Vail,  had  charred 
the  cotton  covering  of  the  wire,  and  destroyed  its 
insulating  properties.  At  this  crisis  a  council  as- 
sembled at  the  Relay  House,  consisting  of  Profes- 
sor Morse,  Dr.  Fisher,  Professor  Gale,  Mr.  Vail, 
and  Mr.  Smith.  They  spent  several  days  in  se- 
cret session  discussing  the  difficulties  encountered 
and  the  various  remedies  proposed.  I  was  not 


86  EZRA    CORNELL. 

present,  nor  was  my  opinion  sought,  but  I  was 
privately  informed,  day  by  day,  of  the  progress  of 
the  discussion,  by  one  of  the  parties  present.  It 
was  decided  that  the  wires  were  useless  as  electri- 
cal conductors  on  account  of  deficient  insulation, 
but  it  was  not  so  easy  to  determine  a  practical 
remedy. 

"  The  situation  was  extremely  critical,  as  already 
$23,000  of  the  appropriation  had  been  expended, 
leaving  only  $7,000  on  hand,  while  Smith  claimed 
$4,000  of  that  amount  to  satisfy  his  contract  for 
laying  the  pipe  from  Baltimore  to  Washington. 
He  claimed  his  right  to  this  sum  whether  the  pipe 
was  laid  or  not,  as  he  stood  ready  to  perform  his 
part  of  the  contract.  Mr.  Smith  regarded  the  en- 
terprise as  a  practical  failure,  and  insisted  on  his 
legal  rights  under  the  contract,  in  order  to  reim- 
burse himself  for  expenditures  made  in  promoting 
the  scheme.  This  was  the  "beginning  of  the  dif- 
ferences between  Morse  and  Smith,  which  after- 
ward became  an  open  quarrel,  and  their  relations 
were  never  friendly  thereafter.  The  remnant  of 
the  appropriation  was  fast  melting  away  by  the 
payment  of  salaries;  viz.:  Professor  Morse,  $2,500; 
Professor  Gale  and  Dr.  Fisher,  $1,500  each;  and 
Mr.  Vail,  $1,000.  It  was  estimated  that  to  re-in- 
sulate the  wire,  and  complete  the  work,  would  re- 
quire $25,000,  and  it  was  concluded,  therefore, 


A   NEW  PLAN.  87 

that  the  work  must  be  suspended  until  another 
appropriation  could  be  obtained. 

"  While  these  conclusions  were  being  reached, 
I  made  some  experiments  which  satisfied  me  that 
the  wires  could  be  re-insulated  at  a  very  small  ex- 
pense, and  so  reported  to  Professor  Morse.  Mr. 
Vail  insisted  that  the  wires  could  not  be  taken  out 
of  the  pipe  except  by  melting  the  latter  ;  but  I  ex- 
plained my  plan  to  the  satisfaction  of  Professor 
Morse,  and  he  finally  decided  that  I  should  under- 
take it.  The  services  of  Gale  and  Fisher  were 
dispensed  with  in  order  to  reduce  expenses,  but  Mr. 
Vail  refused  to  retire.  Professor  Morse  had  me  ap- 
pointed Mechanical  Assistant,  by  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury,  and  directed  me  to  proceed  with  the 
work  of  removing  the  wires  from  the  pipe  and  re- 
insulating  them.  We  obtained  permission  to  do 
this  work  in  the  basement  of  the  Patent  Office  at 
Washington,  where  we  were  soon  engaged  in  ac- 
tive operation. 

"  Realizing  the  importance  of  more  definite  in- 
formation in  electrical  science,  I  decided  to  utilize 
the  long  winter  evenings  in  study.  To  this  end,  I 
applied  to  Professor  Page,  an  examiner  in  the  Pat- 
ent Office,  to  furnish  me  a  list  of  works  on  the  sub- 
ject, which  would  be  useful.  The  Commissioner  of 
Patents,  Mr.  Ellsworth,  kindly  gave  me  an  order 
to  take  these  books  from  the  Patent  Office  Li- 


88  EZRA    CORNELL. 

brary  to  my  lodgings ;  but  on  applying  for  them 
the  following  day,  the  Librarian  reported  them  all 
out.  Repeated  applications  only  served  to  obtain 
the  same  response,  and  further  inquiry  led  to  the 
discovery  that  Mr.  Vail  had  drawn  these  books 
the  very  day  of  my  interview  with  the  Commis- 
sioner. Finally,  becoming  satisfied  that  he  was 
keeping  the  works  to  prevent  my  examination  of 
them,  I  explained  the  circumstance  to  Mr.  Smith 
who,  thereupon,  introduced  me  to  the  Librarian  of 
the  Congressional  Library,  from  whom  I  had  no 
difficulty  in  obtaining  the  desired  books. 

"  The  reading  of  these  works  soon  revealed  the 
fact  that  the  same  difficulties  which  we  had  encoun- 
tered, had  also  been  experienced  in  England, 
where  Cooke  and  Wheatstone  had  undertaken  the . 
same  experiments  and  met  with  the  same  failures, 
and  that  they  had  finally  adopted  the  plan  of  pla- 
cing their  wires  on  poles.  It  was  not  long  before 
it  became  apparent  that  somebody  was  reading  the 
books  which  Mr.  Vail  had  obtained  from  the  Patent 
Office  Library,  and  that  to  a  very  good  purpose, 
as  Professor  Morse  said  to  me  quietly,  one  day, 
that  he  might  conclude  to  change  his  plans.  This 
announcement  satisfied  me  that  light  was  break- 
ing in  an  important  quarter,  and  while  I  pressed  on 
with  removing  the  wires  from  the  pipes,  I  did  not 
hasten  the  re-insulation,  as  I  was  confident  that 


TELEGRAPH  POLES.  89 

the  order  would  soon  come  to  erect  the  wires  on 
poles.  In  this  I  was  not  disappointed,  for  before 
the  end  of  March,  Professor  Morse  informed  me 
that  he  had  decided  to  put  the  wires  on  poles, 
and  gave  me  directions  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  accordingly. 

"  The  question  as  to  what  mode  of  insulation 
should  be  adopted  in  fastening  the  wires  to  the 
poles  was  one  of  the  first  that  confronted  us. 
After  a  little  reflection  I  submitted  to  Professor 
Morse  a  plan  for  this  purpose,  which  was  con- 
demned by  Mr.  Vail,  who  proposed  another  kind 
of  fixture.  Professor  Morse  finally  decided  in 
favor  of  Mr.  Vail's  plan,  and  started  for  New 
York  to  have  the  necessary  fixtures  manufactured. 
At  the  end  of  a  week  Professor  Morse  returned 
to  Washington,  and  said  he  had  concluded  to  use 
my  plan  of  insulation.  At  my  expression  of  sur- 
prise at  his  change  of  mind,  he  said  :  '  On  my  way 
to  New  York  I  stopped  over  at  Princeton  to  see 
my  old  friend  Professor  Henry,  to  whom  I  ex- 
plained our  change  from  underground  to  pole 
line,  and  showed  him  the  model  of  Mr.  Vail's  in- 
sulating fixture.  Professor  Henry  examined  it 
carefully  and  soon  satisfied  me  that  it  would  not 
answer  our  purpose,  as  it  would  only  bring  a  repe- 
tition of  the  troubles  which  we  have  suffered  in 
our  underground  wires.  I  then  explained  your 


90  EZRA    CORNELL. 

plan  to  him  and  he  approved  it  entirely.  I  have, 
therefore,  returned  for  the  purpose  of  putting 
your  plan  in  use.'  The  last  difficulty  having  thus 
been  removed,  the  work  of  erecting  the  line  on 
poles  went  rapidly  forward,  and  about  May  i,  1844, 
we  had  the  line  completed  and  in  operation  be- 
tween Washington  and  Baltimore.  This  was  ac- 
complished so  far  within  the  $7,000  remaining  of 
the  appropriation,  as  to  still  leave  a  sufficient  bal- 
ance to  continue  Professor  Morse's  and  Mr.  Vail's 
salaries  for  the  remainder  of  the  year." 

Shortly  after  the  completion  of  this  line,  the 
National  Democratic  convention  assembled  in  Bal- 
timore, which  nominated  Polk  and  Dallas  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President.  Brief  reports  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  convention  were  telegraphed 
to  Washington,  and  caused  great  excitement 
among  the  members  of  Congress,  who  crowded 
the  telegraph  office  in  the  basement  of  the  Capi- 
tol. While  much  had  been  heard  about  the  tele- 
graph for  several  years,  it  was  regarded  by  most 
people  as  an  idle  dream,  and  the  sudden  discov- 
ery of  the  fact  that  an  event  of  such  public  inter- 
est as  a  presidential  convention  could  be  reported 
by  telegraph,  took  almost  everybody  completely 
by  surprise. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TELEGRAPH    DEVELOPMENT. 

Practical  Success  in  Operation. — Government  Declines  to  Pur- 
chase Telegraph  Patent  for  $100,000. — Postmaster  General's 
Report. — Seeking  Private  Capital. — Exhibition  of  Telegraph. 
— Boston. — New  York. — Building  Lines. — Philadelphia  to 
New  York,  1845. — New  York  to  Albany.  1846. — Troy  and 
Canada,  1847. — Erie  and  Michigan,  1848. — Poverty  of  Chi- 
cago.— Small  Investments. — New  York  and  Erie,  1849. — Fatal 
Error  in  Insulation. — Cold  Plunge  in  River. — Competition  in 
Western  States. — Serious  Accident. — Broken  Arm. — Bitter- 
ness of  Rivalry. — Unexampled  Brutality. — Final  Triumph. 

THE  operation  of  the  telegraph  between  Wash- 
ington and  Baltimore,  despite  the  frail  character 
of  the  line  and  the  crudity  of  the  instruments,  was 
quite  successful,  and  afforded  satisfactory  evidence 
of  its  practicability  for  the  purpose  of  conveying 
intelligence  between  distant  places.  It  substantially 
fulfilled  the  claims  of  Professor  Morse  and  his 
friends  as  to  its  capacity  and  usefulness  for  the 
object  designed.  This  having  been  demonstrated, 
the  next  question  to  be  solved  was,  what  should 
be  done  with  it  ?  In  default  of  any  other  demand 


92  EZRA    CORNELL. 

for  it,  the  owners  of  the  patent  first  offered  it  to 
the  Government,  placing  upon  it  the  nominal  price 
of  $100,000.  but  they  would  have  been  glad,  at 
that  time,  to  have  realized  a  considerably  smaller 
sum  for  their  interest.  This  proposition  was,  by 
Congress,  referred  to  the  Post-Office  Department, 
for  consideration  and  recommendation  as  to  the 
probable  value  of  the  invention.  The  Hon.  Cave 
Johnson,  then  Postmaster-General,  made  a  report 
in  response  to  this  reference,  advising  against  the 
proposed  purchase  by  Government.  The  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  his  report  shows  the  esti- 
mate in  which  the  telegraph  was  then  held  as  an 
instrumentality  of  practical  usefulness  :  "  Although 
the  invention  is  an  agent  vastly  superior  to  any 

other  ever  devised  by  the  genius    of  man 

yet  the  operation  of  the  telegraph  between  this 
city  (Washington)  and  Baltimore  has  not  satis- 
fied me,  that  under  any  rate  of  postage  that  can 
be  adopted,  its  revenues  can  be  made  to  cover  its 
expenditures."  Under  the  influence  of  this  re- 
port, it  was  not  strange  that  Congress  declined 
the  offer  of  the  patentees,  and  the  telegraph 
was  consequently  left  to  seek  development  by  the 
aid  of  private  capital.  This,  however,  proved  to 
be  a  very  slow  and  tedious  process.  Those  fa- 
miliar with  the  almost  universal  use  into  which 
the  telegraph  has  now  come,  will  find  it  difficult  to 


EXHIBITING    THE   TELEGRAPH.  93 

realize  the   utter   indifference  with  which   it  was 
regarded  in  the  days  of  its  infancy. 

That  the  new  medium  of  communication  was 
especially  adapted  to  the  necessities  of  commercial 
business,  and  that  its  utilization  for  public  use  would 
command  profitable  patronage,  Mr.  Cornell  had 
become  thoroughly  convinced.  He,  consequently, 
determined  to  devote  himself  to  the  development 
of  the  telegraph  as  a  business  enterprise,  and  ac- 
cordingly spent  several  weeks  at  Washington  in 
familiarizing  himself  with  its  practical  workings. 
After  a  brief  visit  to  his  home  and  family,  from 
whom  he  had  been  absent  nearly  a  year,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Boston  for  the  purpose  of  introducing 
the  telegraph  to  the  personal  attention  of  business 
men,  in  accordance  with  an  understanding  pre- 
viously made  with  the  Hon.  F.  O.  J.  Smith.  After 
some  consideration  as  to  the  best  mode  of  accom- 
plishing this  object,  it  was  finally  decided  to  build 
a  line  of  telegraph  for  public  demonstration.  A 
line  was,  accordingly,  erected  by  Mr.  Cornell,  ex- 
tending from  Milk  Street  to  School  Street,  which 
he  opened  for  that  purpose.  He  spent  the  summer 
and  autumn  of  1844  in  this  work,  with  the  view  of 
enlisting  capital  to  build  a  line  of  telegraph  be- 
tween Boston  and  New  York.  The  result  of  these 
efforts  was,  however,  very  unsatisfactory,  as  but 
few  persons  were  attracted  by  the  novelty,  and, 


94  EZRA    CORNELL. 

as  a  general  rule,  they  were  not  of  a  class  who 
had  means  for  investment  in  new  enterprises.  It 
was,  therefore,  decided  to  transfer  the  exhibition 
to  New  York,  in  the  hope  of  arousing  in  that  city 
a  more  active  interest  in  the  proposed  undertak- 
ing. 

Proceeding  thence  to  the  city  of  New  York  in 
conformity  with  this  policy,  Mr.  Cornell  constructed 
a  line  of  telegraph,  extending  from  No.  112  Broad- 
way, opposite  Trinity  Church,  to  a  place  on  Broad- 
way, near  the  site  of  the  present  Metropolitan 
Hotel,  and  it  was  put  into  actual  operation  late 
in  the  fall  of  1844.  Here  the  display  attracted 
even  less  attention  than  it  had  in  Boston.  Owing 
to  the  low  state  of  finances  in  which  the  promoters 
of  the  telegraph  found  themselves,  a  fee  of  twenty- 
five  cents  was  charged  for  admission,  in  the  hope 
that  the  exhibition  might  be  made  self-sustain- 
ing. This,  however,  proved  almost  a  failure,  as 
the  receipts  were  quite  insignificant  and  not 
adequate  to  defray  the  extremely  moderate  ex- 
penses which  were  incurred.  The  Tribune  and 
the  Express  gave  the  enterprise  favorable  notice, 
but  the  Herald  carefully  avoided  any  reference  to 
the  subject,  and  ignored  even  the  existence  of  the 
telegraph.  On  one  occasion,  the  proprietor  of 
the  Herald  was  solicited  to  give  some  friendly  at- 
tention to  the  exhibition,  when  he  frankly  replied 


EARLY  PROMOTERS.  95 

that  he  was  opposed  to  the  success  of  the  tele- 
graph, and  should  do  nothing  to  promote  it.  He 
said  he  was  then  able,  by  special  couriers,  to  beat 
his  rivals  in  procuring  early  news,  whereas,  if 
the  telegraph  was  generally  established,  it  would 
deprive  him  of  his  present  advantage.  This  nar- 
row-minded policy  was  pursued  by  him  until  two 
years  later,  when,  by  the  transmission  of  the 
Governor's  message  by  telegraph,  the  Herald 
was  badly  beaten  in  its  efforts  to  obtain  an  ad- 
vanced copy  of  the  same  by  special  messenger. 
Mr.  Cornell  spent  the  entire  winter  in  the  attempt 
to  secure  public  attention  to  the  subject  of  the 
telegraph,  but  almost  without  success. 

By  dint  of  much  personal  effort,  however,  a  few 
individuals  were  finally  induced  to  venture  small 
amounts  for  the  erection  of  telegraph  lines.  The 
parties  who  thus  gave  early  vitality  to  the  enter- 
prise were  not  capitalists  or  men  of  wealth,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  were  generally  of  quite  moderate 
financial  resources.  Two  classes  of  persons,  who 
were  notably  conspicuous  as  early  promoters  of 
the  telegraph  enterprise,  were  those  formerly  en- 
gaged as  proprietors  of  stage  transportation,  who 
so  lately  had  seen  their  occupation  superseded  by 
the  railroads,  and  that  other  body  of  enterprising 
pioneers — peculiar  to  the  material  development 
of  the  American  continent — who  had  recently  es- 


96  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tablished  the  express  system  on  a  firm  and  suc- 
cessful basis.  The  "  Magnetic  Telegraph  Com- 
pany "  was  the  first  incorporated  company  that 
was  organized  for  the  prosecution  of  the  proposed 
business.  The  object  of  this  organization  was 
the  erection  and  operation  of  a  line  of  telegraph 
between  the  cities  of  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
Baltimore,  and  Washington.  The  section  of  line 
between  Fort  Lee,  opposite  New  York,  and  Phil- 
adelphia, was  constructed  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  Mr.  Cornell,  in  the  summer  of  1845.  He 
was  engaged  in  this  service  at  a  compensation  of 
one  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  and  demonstrated 
his  faith  in  the  financial  success  of  the  scheme 
by  subscribing  five  hundred  dollars  to  the  capital 
stock  of  the  company,  which  he  paid  out  of  his 
meagre  salary. 

No  means  of  insulating  electric  wires  for  sub- 
marine crossings  had,  at  that  period,  been  discov- 
ered. There  had  not  yet  been  devised  any  mode 
of  utilizing  rubber  for  purposes  of  insulation, 
while  gutta-percha  had  not  then  become  an  arti- 
cle of  commerce.  The  only  practical  way  for  the 
crossing  of  navigable  waters  by  telegraph  conduc- 
tors, available  to  the  intelligence  of  man,  was  by 
the  suspension  of  wires  from  points  on  either 
side  of  the  stream,  high  enough  to  clear  pass- 
ing vessels.  For  the  establishment  of  telegraphic 


FIRST  LINES   OF    TELEGRAPH.  97 

intercourse  between  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, the  crossing  of  the  Hudson  River  was  ac- 
complished by  the  use  of  masts,  erected  at  Fort 
Washington  and  on  the  Palisades  opposite.  In 
opening  communication  between  Philadelphia 
and  Fort  Lee,  prior  to  the  completion  of  the  river 
crossing,  an  attempt  was  made  to  utilize,  for  tem- 
porary use,  the  telegraph  instruments  which  had 
originally  been  employed  on  the  line  between 
Washington  and  Baltimore.  They  proved  un- 
available for  the  purpose,  however,  as,  after  sev- 
eral days'  trial,  they  were  found  unsuited  for 
use  on  a  line  of  this  length,  owing  to  crudity  and 
imperfection  of  construction.  Other  relay  mag- 
nets were  thereupon  devised  by  Mr.  Cornell  on 
a  new  plan,  that  worked  admirably,  and  were 
continued  in  use  until  supplemented  by  a  new 
style  of  relay,  designed  and  constructed  by  a 
French  electrician,  which  Professor  Morse  brought 
home  with  him  from  France.  These  instruments 
were  found  well  suited  to  the  purpose,  and  came 
into  general  use  in  this  country. 

A  company  was  also  formed  for  the  erection  of 
lines  of  telegraph  between  New  York  and  Boston 
in  1845  ;  and  still  another  was  organized  to  con- 
struct a  line  from  New  York  to  Buffalo,  of  which 
the  section  between  Albany  and  Buffalo  was 
built  the  same  year.  That  portion  of  the  line 
7 


98  EZRA    CORNELL. 

between  New  York  and  Albany  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Cornell,  on  a  contract,  for  the  New  York, 
Albany  &  Buffalo  Telegraph  Company,  and  was 
successfully  completed  in  the  autumn  of  1846. 
This  contract  was  the  first  enterprise  that  Mr. 
Cornell  had  been  able  to  conduct  for  his  own  ad- 
vantage, and  from  it  he  realized  a  profit  of  about 
six  thousand  dollars,  despite  the  embarrassment 
of  having  been  prostrated  by  severe  illness 
several  weeks  during  the  progress  of  the  work. 
He  also  built  a  considerable  extent  of  telegraph 
line  below  Quebec,  for  the  account  of  a  Canadian 
company,  and  the  following  year  he  erected  a  line 
of  telegraph  from  Troy  through  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont to  Montreal,  under  contract  with  the  Troy 
&  Canada  Junction  Telegraph  Company.  These 
several  transactions  proved  highly  remunerative 
to  the  enterprising  contractor,  and  from  the  profits 
thus  realized,  he  found  himself  strong  enough, 
financially,  to  undertake  more  pretentious  adven- 
tures on  his  own  account. 

With  a  view  of  extending  his  operations  into 
a  wider  field  of  usefulness,  and  enabling  himself 
to  become  more  distinctly  master  of  his  business, 
Mr.  Cornel],  in  1847,  organized  the  Erie  &  Mich- 
igan Telegraph  Company,  designed  to  provide  a 
line  of  telegraph  between  Buffalo  and  Milwaukee, 
by  way  of  Cleveland,  Detroit,  and  Chicago.  It 


ERIE   AND  MICHIGAN  TELEGRAPH.  99 

was  his  hope  and  expectation  to  obtain,  from  res- 
idents of  the  several  cities  and  towns  along  the 
route,  subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock  of  the 
company,  sufficient,  with  what  he  himself  was  able 
to  invest,  to  complete  the  line.  In  this,  however, 
he  was  almost  wholly  disappointed,  as,  beyond  a 
few  thousand  dollars  contributed  by  citizens  of 
Detroit,  Kalamazoo,  South  Bend,  Racine,  and  Mil- 
waukee, scarcely  anything"  was  provided  by  those 
residing  on  the  line.  At  Chicago,  it  was  found 
impossible  to  raise  a  dollar  of  subscription,  owing 
to  the  poverty  and  indifference  of  the  people. 
The  marvellous  change  which  has  come  over  that 
city,  which  in  1847  was  unable  or  unwilling  to  take 
a  share  of  telegraph  stock,  is  strikingly  illustrated 
by  the  fact  that  in  this  year  of  the  Lord,  1884,  the 
citizens  of  Chicago  are  paying  at  least  three  thou- 
sand dollars  per  day  for  their  telegraph  service. 
A  thorough  canvass  of  the  territory  interested,  re- 
sulted in  failure  to  secure  anything  like  the  neces- 
sary capital,  and  but  for  Mr.  Cornell's  boldness  in 
obligating  himself  for  a  large  amount,  beyond  the 
investment  of  his  entire  available  means,  the  enter- 
prise must  have  been  abandoned.  Confident,  how- 
ever, of  the  great  ultimate  value  of  the  proposed 
line,  he  pushed  it  forward  with  his  characteristic  en- 
ergy to  a  successful  completion,  which  was  accom- 
plished in  1848,  to  the  gratification  of  all  interested. 


100  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Desiring  to  furnish  a  direct  and  independent 
connection  for  the  Erie  &  Michigan  Telegraph 
system  with  the  city  of  New  York,  Mr.  Cornell  also 
organized  the  New  York  &  Erie  Telegraph 
Company,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  line  of 
telegraph  from  New  York  to  Dunkirk,  through  the 
southern  tier  of  counties  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  which  was  completed  in  the  year  1849. 
The  glass  insulators  then  in  common  use  were  so 
delicately  made  as  to  be  easily  broken,  subjecting 
the  lines  to  frequent  interruption  from  this  cause. 
To  avoid  this  embarrassment,  and  insure  a  per- 
manent and  reliable  structure,  an  insulator  was  es- 
pecially designed  for  this  new  work,  consisting  of 
an  iron  shield  filled  with  brimstone  as  its  insulating 
substance.  When  first  completed,  the  line  was 
very  perfect  in  operation,  but  in  a  few  weeks  it  be- 
gan to  work  badly,  and  in  the  course  of  some 
months  its  usefulness  was  substantially  destroyed. 
Many  weary  months  of  experiment  and  inves- 
tigation finally  disclosed  the  fact  that,  whereas 
brimstone  in  its  ordinary  state  was  a  perfect  insu- 
lator, exposure,  for  a  few  weeks,  to  the  atmos- 
phere in  connection  with  the  iron  produced  a 
chemical  change  which  converted  it  into  a  posi- 
tive conductor  of  the  electric  current.  Thus 
the  theoretical  results  of  the  scientific  laboratory 
misled  the  company  into  a  fatal  error,  which,  for 


SERIOUS  MISFORTUNE.  IOI 

the  time  being,  completely  prevented  the  opera- 
tion of  the  line.  The  only  alternative,  therefore, 
was  to  provide  for  re-insulating  the  entire  struc- 
ture with  glass. 

In  all  of  the  struggles  incident  to  Mr.  Cor- 
nell's laborious  career,  nothing  compared  with  the 
obstacles  which  continually  obstructed  the  prog- 
ress and  prosperity  of  the  New  York  &  Erie  Tele- 
graph Company.  He  had  induced  many  personal 
friends  to  invest  their  means  in  the  stock  of  the 
company,  and  he  felt  more  than  an  usual  degree  of 
personal  responsibility  and  anxiety  to  make  it  suc- 
cessful. The  ignorance  of  the  chemical  experts, 
as  to  the  change  in  the  insulating  qualities  of 
brimstone  after  exposure  to  the  atmosphere  for  a 
brief  time  was  the  principal  cause  of  the  long-con- 
tinued misfortune  which  attended  this  enterprise, 
and  finally  ended  its  career  in  insolvency. 

Another  cause  of  annoyance  was  the  difficulty 
of  crossing  the  Hudson  River  with  the  wires. 
At  that  period  there  was  no  substance  available 
for  submarine  insulation,  and  suspension  of  the 
conductor  over  the  channel  of  the  river  was  the 
only  mode  of  crossing.  For  this  line,  a  wire  was 
suspended  from  the  opposite  cliffs  of  the  Highlands, 
just  above  Cold  Spring.  This,  however,  was  fre- 
quently destroyed  as  the  result  of  heavy  sleet 
storms  in  winter,  and  many  hardships  were  expe- 


102  EZRA    CORNELL. 

rienced  in  maintaining  the  frail  structure.  Mr. 
Cornell  often  personally  participated  in  the  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous  feats  of  replacing  the  con- 
ductor when  thus  prostrated. 

On  one  occasion,  while  travelling  over  the  Erie 
Railway,  in  the  service  of  this  unfortunate  enter- 
prise, Mr.  Cornell  met  with  a  singular  accident, 
which  is  worthy  of  record  in  this  relation.  Pro- 
ceeding east  over  the  road  on  a  bitter  cold  night 
in  February,  when  near  Callicoon,  about  three 
o'clock,  a  broken  rail  threw  the  last  car  from  the 
track  and  severed  its  connection  with  the  train. 
Going  at  high  speed,  the  car  struck  and  completely 
demolished  a  telegraph  pole,  the  shock  of  which 
tore  the  roof  from  the  car,  and  it  finally  landed  in 
the  Delaware  River.  The  occupants,  of  whom 
there  were  some  twenty  or  thirty,  men,  women, 
and  children,  were  plunged  into  the  water  waist 
deep.  The  river  was  running  full  of  anchor  ice, 
and  by  the  time  the  passengers  had  scrambled  out 
of  the  water,  their  garments  were  frozen  stiff. 
None  of  the  victims  were  seriously  injured,  but 
they  all  suffered  intensely  in  the  cold  night  air 
while  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  train,  which  had 
gone  on  several  miles  before  missing  the  lost  car. 
They  were  taken  forward  to  Narrowsburgh  where 
the  best  provision  possible  was  made  for  their 
comfort. 


WESTERN  LINES.  103 

The  Erie  &  Michigan  Company  proved  a  suc- 
cessful venture,  and  became  the  trunk  line  of  a 
considerable  system.  Lines  were  erected  to  con- 
nect with  it,  extending  from  Cleveland  to  Pitts- 
burgh ;  Cleveland  to  Zanesville  and  Wheeling ; 
Cleveland  to  Columbus  and  Cincinnati,  and  thence 
to  St.  Louis.  The  Ohio,  Indiana,  &  Illinois  Tel- 
egraph Company  also  came  under  the  control  of 
the  managers  of  the  Erie  &  Michigan.  Through- 
out nearly  all  of  the  territory  west  of  Buffalo 
telegraph  lines  were  established  before  the  rail- 
ways. The  Michigan  Central,  the  Little  Miami, 
and  one  or  two  other  minor  roads  were  par- 
tially built  before  electricity  was  introduced,  but 
with  these  exceptions,  the  telegraph  was  the  pio- 
neer, and  was  generously  welcomed  by  the  people 
in  all  parts  of  the  West.  The  tedious  delay  in 
the  transmission  of  the  mails  in  those  early  days, 
made  the  new  medium  of  communication  espec- 
ially acceptable  to  the  vigorous  and  enterprising 
men  of  the  then  frontier  region  ;  and  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  the  telegraph  was  in  no  small 
degree  entitled  to  credit  for  the  prodigious  devel- 
opment of  the  Western  States,  which  occurred  in 
the  decade  preceding  the  great  rebellion.  In  this 
connection  it  may  also,  without  impropriety,  be 
stated,  that  the  assertion  has  often  been  made  by 
those  extremely  competent  to  form  an  opinion, 


104  EZRA    CORNELL. 

that  the  success  of  the  Government  in  subduing  the 
rebellion  and  restoring  the  Union  was  due  more 
to  the  service  of  the  telegraph  than  to  any  other 
one  cause.  But  for  its  use,  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  move  or  supply  the  enormous  armies 
which  were  found  requisite  to  overcome  the  rebel 
forces. 

It  was  a  slow  and  difficult  process  to  interest 
people  in  the  telegraph  business  in  the  beginning. 
Indeed,  nothing  but  the  most  abiding  faith  in 
final  success  could  have  kept  up  the  courage  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  enterprise  in  the  first  years 
of  their  struggles.  It  was  not  strange,  how- 
ever, that  the  average  business  man  could  not 
see  the  practical  utility  of  the  new  invention  ; 
the  mails  then  served  every  purpose  of  ordinary 
intercourse,  and  it  required  the  sanguine  antici- 
pation of  a  thorough  convert  to  realize  what  it 
was  to  accomplish.  As  soon,  however,  as  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  enterprise  had  been  dem- 
onstrated by  the  experience  of  the  early  lines, 
there  were  plenty  of  people  ready  to  embark 
in  the  business,  and  within  three  years  all  of 
the  principal  cities  of  the  country  were  placed 
in  telegraphic  communication  with  each  other. 
Despite  the  protection  the  original  companies 
fancied  they  were  to  enjoy  from  the  patent  rights 
which  they  had  acquired  from  the  inventor  and 


BITTER  RIVALRY.  105 

patentees,  duplicate  lines  soon  began  to  invade 
their  territory,  and  they  found  themselves  power- 
less to  prevent  a  ruinous  competition.  Many  of 
the  early  companies  were  driven  to  bankruptcy 
from  this  cause,  and  their  lines  sold  by  sheriffs 
under  executions  of  judgments.  This  condition 
of  things  continued  for  several  years,  until  nearly 
every  important  line  in  the  country  was  paralleled. 
The  summer  of  1854  was  a  season  of  bitter 
and  relentless  rivalry  among  the  various  telegraph 
organizations  in  the  Western  States.  The  most 
extraordinary  efforts  were  constantly  being  made 
to  gain  some  advantage,  until,  indeed,  the  rivalry 
became  almost  a  state  of  open  warfare,  often  in- 
cluding legal  controversies  over  the  title  and  pos- 
session of  lines  which  had  been  the  subject  of 
forced  sales.  In  the  midst  of  this  trying  period, 
when  his  active  attention  was  more  than  ever  es- 
sential to  the  protection  of  his  many  interests, 
Mr.  Cornell  met  with  a  painful  accident,  which 
kept  him  a  prisoner  in  his  room  for  several 
weeks.  In  travelling  by  rail  from  Lafayette  to 
Indianapolis,  his  arm,  resting  on  the  sill  of  the 
open  car-window,  was  caught  by  the  frame  of  a 
bridge.  The  arm  was  drawn  out  of  the  window 
and  pounded  against  the  timbers,  through  the 
entire  length  of  the  bridge,  fracturing  the  bones 
twice  above  and  three  times  below  the  elbow, 


106  EZRA    CORNELL. 

besides  breaking  three  fingers.  The  flesh  of  the 
hand  and  arm  was  terribly  lacerated,  and  the  in- 
jury was  extremely  painful.  Fortunately,  it  was 
not  found  necessary  to  amputate  the  limb,  and  it 
was  restored  to  a  condition  of  usefulness,  though 
the  fingers  were  ever  after  stiff,  and  awkward  for 
many  purposes.  It  happened,  at  the  time  of  the 
accident,  that  Mr.  Cornell  was  accompanied  by 
friends,  who  cared  for  him  to  the  best  advantage. 
He  was  taken  to  Indianapolis  for  medical  treatment 
and  care.  Mrs.  Cornell  was  summoned  from  her 
home,  by  telegraph,  and  hastened  to  attend  him 
in  the  long  and  tedious  confinement  which  awaited 
him.  A  subsequent  investigation  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  accident  demonstrated  that  it  was  in  conse- 
quence of  the  fact  that  the  car,  in  which  he  was 
riding,  was  much  larger  and  wider  than  those  ordi- 
narily used  on  the  road,  and  almost  filled  the 
space  in  the  bridge. 

It  was  several  weeks  before  Mr.  Cornell  was 
permitted  to  leave  his  room,  and  many  months 
before  he  was  able  to  travel  without  much  pain 
and  discomfort.  His  telegraph  interests  suffered 
materially  in  consequence  of  this  circumstance, 
notwithstanding  his  associates  did  all  in  their 
power  to  make  good  the  interruption  of  his  ac- 
tive attention  to  them.  Advantage  was  taken 
by  some  of  his  business  rivals  of  the  opportunity 


EXTREME  HOSTILITY.  1 07 

afforded  by  his  prostration,  to  discredit  and  em- 
barrass him,  by  spreading  false  reports  as  to 
his  solvency.  In  one  instance  this  enmity  pro- 
ceeded so  far  as  the  purchase  of  one  of  his  un- 
adjusted obligations,  by  some  of  his  telegraph 
opponents,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  prosecution, 
while  he  was  still  confined  to  his  house  by  this 
accident.  The  unexampled  brutality  which  would 
induce  such  a  proceeding  as  this,  illustrates  the 
extreme  hostility  to  which  the  telegraph  war  had 
been  pushed  in  the  West.  Mr.  Cornell  was,  how- 
ever, enabled  to  provide  for  his  outstanding  liabili- 
ties; and  those  who  were  engaged  in  the  dis- 
reputable attempt  to  ruin  a  competitor  art  a  time 
when  he  was  disabled  by  a  cruel  accident,  had 
the  mortification  afterward  of  witnessing  him  tri- 
umph over  all  obstacles,  and  by  the  wise  and 
beneficent  use  of  his  fortune,  establish  a  name 
and  fame  for  himself,  which  will  brighten  in  future 
ages  when  even  the  names  of  his  petty  tormen- 
tors shall  be  forgotten. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE  WESTERN  UNION  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY. 

Liberal  Patronage  in  Western  States. — Activity  of  Competition.  — 
Threatened  Bankruptcy. — Necessity  of  Consolidation. — Or- 
ganization of  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company.  —  Re- 
markable Success. — Good  Resulting  from  Evil. — Railway  Co- 
operation.— Growth  of  the  Western  Union  System. — Reduc- 
tion of  Tariffs. — Russian  Extension  Project. — Success  of  At- 
lantic Cables. — Mr.  Cornell's  Services. — Profitable  Investment. 

THE  newly  settled  and  rapidly  developing 
Western  States  were,  from  the  beginning,  the 
very  El  Dorado  of  the  telegraph  business.  The 
new  system  of  communication  seemed  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  necessities  of  the  wide-awake  busi- 
ness men  of  that  region.  In  the  older  States,  tel- 
egraph offices  could  be  sustained  only  in  the  large 
villages  and  cities,  but  in  the  Western  States, 
every  little  hamlet  demanded  telegraphic  facilities, 
and  often  it  was  found  that  places  quite  insignifi- 
cant in  numbers  of  population  proved  to  be  rich 
placers  for  the  new  enterprise.  This  was  true 
especially  of  points  at  which  any  considerable 
amount  of  agricultural  produce  was  gathered  for 


LIBERAL   PATRONAGE.  109 

shipment  to  the  Eastern  markets.  Dealers  in 
grain  were  the  earliest  and  most  profitable  pat- 
rons of  the  telegraph.  The  necessity  of  keeping 
themselves  promptly  advised  of  fluctuations  in 
the  market  prices  of  their  commodities,  at  the 
great  trade  centres,  made  them  extremely  liberal 
in  their  patronage.  Those  engaged  in  other 
branches  of  business  were  not  slow  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  facilities  of  quick  communication  thus 
brought  within  their  reach,  and  the  telegraph  busi- 
ness increased  with  unexampled  rapidity.  The 
inevitable  consequence  of  this  vigorous  develop- 
ment, was  the  introduction  of  rival  lines,  and  the 
opening  of  competing  offices  in  almost  every  com- 
munity, frequently  three  or  four  in  towns  of  any 
considerable  importance.  In  many  places  the 
competition  was  sharp  and  often  bitter.  Thus 
profits  were  consumed  by  an  extraordinary  burden 
of  expenses,  and  an  advantageous  field  for  a 
single  line  was  converted  into  an  absolutely  un- 
profitable region  by  the  duplication  of  lines,  while 
the  companies  owning  these  lines  were  drifting 
on  to  inevitable  bankruptcy. 

This  alarming  condition  of  affairs  convinced  the 
managers  and  proprietors  that  the  salvation  of 
their  property  from  absolute  ruin  required  imme- 
diate and  radical  change  of  policy.  Various  at- 
tempts were  made,  looking  to  the  mitigation  of 


HO  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  evil,  but  nothing  was  accomplished  to  afford 
any  substantial  relief  until  1855,  when,  by  the  co- 
operation of  Mr.  Cornell  and  some  of  the  other 
principal  owners  of  telegraph  property  in  the 
Northwestern  States,  a  consolidation  of  interests 
was  effected,  which  resulted  in  the  organization  of 
the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company.  This 
new  company  was  formed  by  a  combination  of  the 
lines  of  the  New  York  &  Mississippi  Valley  Tele- 
graph Company ;  Erie  &  Michigan  ;  Cleveland 
&  Cincinnati ;  Cleveland  &  Pittsburgh  ;  Cincin- 
nati &  St.  Louis ;  Ohio,  Indiana,  &  Illinois ;  Lake 
Erie  &  Ohio ;  and  a  few  other  minor  compa- 
nies, embracing  substantially  all  interests  then 
existing  in  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Mich- 
igan, Wisconsin,  and  a  portion  of  Illinois. 

By  this  course  a  valuable  territory  for  tele- 
graph business  was  immediately  relieved  from  the 
evils  of  competition,  and  the  lines  converted  from 
an  impecunious  condition  to  one  of  great  pros- 
perity. The  managers  realized  that,  to  save  the 
advantages  which  their  experiment  at  consolida- 
tion had  so  strikingly  demonstrated,  they  must 
continue  to  develop  the  policy  so  auspiciously 
commenced.  They  wisely  determined,  therefore, 
to  use  their  rapidly  accumulating  profits  in  estab- 
lishing their  own  system  over  a  more  extended 
range  of  operations.  This  they  did  by  purchasing 


WESTERN    UNION    TELEGRAPH.  Ill 

such  lines  as  could  be  advantageously  acquired, 
and  by  building"  new  ones  wherever  a  profitable 
field  of  business  appeared  within  their  reach.  Old 
lines  which  could  not  otherwise  be  secured  were 
leased  in  perpetuity,  and  thus  brought  under  the 
management  of  the  new  company,  rendering  their 
position  more  complete  and  impregnable. 

Primarily,  therefore,  the  great  and  crowning 
triumph  of  the  telegraph  enterprise  in  America 
grew  out  of  the  ruinous  competition  which  so 
speedily  extended  through  the  Western  States, 
and  reduced  that  prolific  field  of  telegraph  pat- 
ronage to  a  condition  of  absolute  loss,  and,  in 
many  instances  hopeless  insolvency  As  indicated 
by  the  peculiar  style  of  its  name,  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  was  originally  organ- 
ized as  a  Western  company,  with  no  definite  idea 
on  the  part  of  its  active  projectors,  in  the  begin- 
ning, that  it  would  become  anything  more  than  a 
local  organization,  and  thus  apart  only  of  the  tele- 
graph system  of  the  country.  The  evils  of  com- 
petition were  first  and  most  seriously  realized  in 
the  Western  States,  and  the  necessity  for  consoli- 
dation of  interests  was  there  soonest  appreciated. 
The  success  of  the  new  policy,  however,  became 
so  quickly  apparent  to  the  managers  of  the  com- 
pany, that  they  were  speedily  induced  to  push 
their  advantage  into  new  territory.  Within  a  few 


112  EZRA    CORNELL. 

years  they  had  so  far  advanced  in  their  success- 
ful career,  that  the  continent  of  America  became 
the  only  limit  recognized  by  them  as  the  extent 
of  their  operations. 

Early  in  the  progress  of  the  new  company  it 
inaugurated  a  system  of  co-operation  with  the 
railway  companies,  which  has  proved  of  inestim- 
able value  in  the  rapid,  economical,  and  permanent 
development  of  the  enterprise.  Contracts  were 
entered  into  for  the  erection  of  lines  of  telegraph 
along  the  railroads,  with  one  or  more  wires  for 
railway  use  and  additional  wires  for  the  general 
commercial  business  of  the  telegraph  company. 
These  contracts  generally  covered  a  period  of 
twenty  or  thirty  years,  and,  in  most  cases,  pro- 
vided for  the  furnishing  of  poles  and  wire  by  the 
Western  Union  Company,  while  the  railway  com- 
panies supplied  the  labor  for  erecting  the  lines 
and  keeping  them  in  repair.  Railway  depots 
were  generally  utilized  for  telegraph  offices,  and, 
in  many  of  the  smaller  towns,  the  railway  agents 
performed  also  the  duty  of  telegraph  operators, 
thus  providing  for  the  economical  maintenance  of 
telegraph  facilities  in  many  places  where  limited 
patronage  would  not  justify  a  separate  estab- 
lishment. This  plan  of  co-operation  has  been  ex- 
tended until  the  Western  Union  Company  has 
become  thoroughly  identified  with  almost  every 


REMARKABLE    SUCCESS,  113 

considerable  railway  company  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada.  Under  this  policy  the  railways 
have  been  provided  with  superior  means  for  tele- 
graphic service,  while  the  telegraph  company  has 
been  enabled  to  secure  for  itself  an  extended 
system  of  lines  far  cheaper  than  they  could  have 
been  built  independently,  besides  the  enormous 
advantage  of  acquiring  the  entire  volume  of  com- 
mercial business  as  its  exclusive  right. 

Steadily  and  with  much  wisdom,  from  the  com- 
mencement of  its  organization  to  the  present  time, 
the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  has  pur- 
sued the  policy  of  extending  its  jurisdiction,  by 
the  building  of  new  lines  and  the  acquisition,  by 
purchase  or  lease,  of  those  already  in  existence. 
The  extraordinary  success  of  the  company  must 
be  attributed,  in  great  measure,  to  the  wisdom, 
courage,  and  vigor  of  its  early  management. 
While  it  cannot  be  denied  that  some  errors  were 
committed,  these  were  so  insignificant  in  compari- 
son to  the  general  results  accomplished,  that  they 
are  quite  unworthy  of  serious  comment. 

Following  the  policy  adopted  and  so  ably  pur- 
sued, the  company  has  now  become  practically 
invincible,  and  has  attained  an  eminence  in  the 
telegraph  business  unrivalled  in  the  whole  civil- 
ized world.  Its  lines  now  cover  every  State 
and  Territory  in  the  United  States  and  all  of  the 


"4  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Provinces  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  supple- 
mented by  cables  to  Europe  and  the  West  Indies, 
while  it  maintains  offices  in  every  city  and  prom- 
inent town  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  together  with  several  thousand 
offices  in  villages  and  hamlets  of  very  insignificant 
importance.  At  the  present  time  (1884),  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  system  embraces  142,- 
459  miles  of  line,  consisting  of  422, 382  miles  of 
wire.  The  company  maintains  12,386  telegraph 
offices,  and  its  employees  number  more  than 
twenty  thousand  persons.  During  the  past  year 
the  volume  of  its  business  amounted  to  more  than 
forty-one  millions  of  messages,  while  for  the  last 
fiscal  year  its  gross  earnings  were  $19,454,803 ; 
expenses,  $n,794»533»  and  net  profits  $7,660,350. 
With  the  extension  of  its  plant  and  the  in- 
crease of  facilities  the  Western  Union  manage- 
ment has  pursued  the  policy  of  reducing  its  tariff 
of  charges,  and  it  is  now,  by  far,  the  cheapest  sys- 
tem of  telegraphic  communication  in  the  world. 
Some  idea  of  the  reduction  in  tolls  on  telegraph 
messages  which  has  been  effected  by  the  Western 
Union  Company  may  be  realized  by  the  fact  that 
in  1867  the  average  rate  of  charge  for  each  mes- 
sage over  its  lines  was  $1.09,  while  in  1883  the 
average  rate  was  only  35  cents  ;  expense  per  mes- 
sage in  1867,68  cents,  and  in  1883,  23  cents; 


RUSSIAN  EXTENSION.  115 

profits  per  message  in  1867,  41  cents,  and  in  1883, 
12  cents.  Compared  with  the  rate  of  charges 
for  telegraph  service  throughout  the  entire  conti- 
nent of  Europe,  the  Western  Union  service  av- 
erages considerably  less  than  one  half  in  price  per 
message,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  com- 
pensation of  operators  is  very  materially  higher 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  than  in  Eu- 
rope. 

One  of  the  principal  elements  of  strength,  and 
that  which,  probably  more  than  anything  else,  in- 
sured the  final  and  substantial  domination  of  the 
Western  Union  Company,  was  the  enterprising 
spirit  which  animated  its  executive  management. 
From  the  first  consolidation  of  rival  lines  into  one 
compact  and  vigorous  organization,  it  proceeded 
with  unceasing  activity  to  strengthen  its  position 
by  reaching  out  and  covering  new  territory.  The 
vigor  with  which  it  pushed  its  lines  across  the 
continent  in  advance  of  civilization  and  brought 
the  Pacific  coast  into  instant  communication  with 
the  Eastern  States  was  a  marvel  in  its  day.  After 
the  failure  of  the  first  Atlantic  Cable  in  1858,  the 
Western  Union  Company  undertook  the  build- 
ing of  overland  lines  through  the  British  posses- 
sions, to  connect  with  cable  across  Behring  Strait, 
and  thence  by  land  lines  over  the  continent  of 
Asia,  to  provide  for  telegraphic  correspondence 


Il6  EZRA    CORNELL. 

between  America  and  Europe.  Four  millions  of 
dollars  were  expended  by  the  Company  in  the 
extension  of  its  lines  to  accomplish  this  purpose, 
when,  in  1866,  the  Atlantic  Cable  was  finally  com- 
pleted and  successfully  opened  for  business.  It 
was  obvious  that  the  expense  of  maintaining  the 
overland  lines  through  the  vast  and  uninhabited 
wilderness,  without  intermediate  business  to  con- 
tribute to  their  support,  would  render  it  impos- 
sible to  successfully  compete  with  the  direct  ocean 
cables  in  the  transmission  of  Transatlantic  bus- 
iness. As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  permanence  of 
the  cable  was  assured,  the  overland  system  was 
abandoned,  to  the  complete  sacrifice  of  the  en- 
tire amount  invested  therein. 

Convinced  at  an  early  period  of  the  imperative 
and  increasing  necessity  of  harmonious  action 
between  existing  telegraph  organizations  to  save 
them  from  bankruptcy  and  ruin,  Mr.  Cornell  was 
one  of  the  originators  of  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
directors  of  the  company,  and  in  that  capacity 
was  identified  with  its  management  for  a  period 
of  twenty  years.  His  large  experience  in  tel- 
egraph matters,  together  with  his  mature  judg- 
ment and  practical  wisdom,  rendered  his  counsel 
of  infinite  value  in  shaping  the  policy  of  the  com- 
pany in  its  earlier  years.  He  understood  the 


VALUABLE  SERVICES.  Il/" 

nature  of  difficulties  to  be  overcome  and  the 
dangers  to  be  avoided,  which  enabled  him  to 
exercise  a  potent  and  guiding  influence  with 
associates  who  had  come  into  the  business  at 
later  stages  of  its  history.  He  was  emphatically, 
and  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  telegraph  enterprise,  and  no  other 
person  contributed  more  valuable  service  toward 
securing  its  early  and  successful  establishment. 
He  was  present  at  the  birth  of  the  infant  as  a  prac- 
tical business  project ;  he  helped  to  give  it  vital- 
ity and  strength  in  the  days  of  its  weakness ;  and 
he  had  the  great  satisfaction  of  witnessing  its  ex- 
traordinary growth  and  development  to  the  pro- 
portions of  a  veritable  giant.  From  the  begin- 
ning of  active  operations  his  faith  was  absolutely 
unwavering  in  the  ultimate  and  complete  success 
of  the  telegraph  as  a  profitable  enterprise,  and 
he  realized  very  substantial  compensation  as  the 
result  of  his  early  and  correct  judgment. 

For  more  than  fifteen  years  Mr.  Cornell  was  the 
largest  individual  stockholder  of  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company,  and  in  addition  to 
his  interests  in  that  company,  he  was  a  large 
stockholder  in  the  Illinois  &  Mississippi  Tele- 
graph Company  and  also  in  the  Northwestern 
Telegraph  Company.  These  organizations  for 
many  years  occupied  most  of  the  territory  west 


Il8  EZRA    CORNELL. 

and  north  of  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  and  were 
conducted  on  terms  of  amity  and  co-operation  with 
the  Western  Union  system,  but  were  at  last  ab- 
sorbed by  the  greater  company  under  permanent 
leases,  and  their  lines  now  constitute  a  portion  of 
the  property  of  the  Western  Union  Company. 
From  the  commencement  of  his  career  in  the 
telegraph  enterprise,  Mr.  Cornell  demonstrated  his 
faith  in  its  complete  success  by  investing  every 
dollar  of  his  earnings  in  the  business,  and  stead- 
fastly declined  to  part  with  his  holdings  of  tel- 
egraph stocks,  until  his  plans  for  the  building  up 
of  the  great  University  at  Ithaca,  rendered  such 
a  course  necessary  to  provide  means  therefor. 

The  wisdom  of  his  policy  was  abundantly  vindi- 
cated by  the  fact  that  he  was  enabled  to  realize  for 
his  telegraph  interests  in  the  aggregate  probably 
more  than  two  millions  of  dollars.  He  was  not 
possessed  of  any  considerable  amount  of  capital 
at  the  beginning  of  his  operations,  and  this  large 
accumulation  was  the  result  simply  of  the  invest- 
ment in  telegraph  property  of  earnings  and  profits 
realized  from  the  construction  of  lines.  It  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  Mr.  Cornell  thus  gained  from 
the  fruits  of  his  labors  in  the  telegraph  enterprise, 
a  sum  larger  than  all  of  the  owners  of  the  origi- 
nal patents  of  the  telegraph  realized  for  them- 
selves from  their  entire  interests.  It  is  also  true 


SUPERIOR    PERCEPTION.  119 

that  nearly  all  of  those  who  accumulated  large 
fortunes  from  the  profits  of  the  telegraph  devel- 
opment, were  men  who  engaged  in  the  business 
without  much  capital,  or  other  advantage  than 
their  superior  perception  in  anticipating  the  results 
which  were  to  be  attained  in  the  business. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AGRICULTURAL  TASTES. 

Rural  Tendencies. — Resuming  Agricultural  Pursuits. — Improved 
Breeds  of  Animals. — The  Forest  Park  Herd. — Farmers'  Club. 
— Agricultural  Societies. — President  of  State  Society. — Dele- 
gate to  London  Exposition. — European  Travel. — State  Fair. 
— Embarrassments  of  the  Agricultural  College. — Proposition 
to  Endow  an  Institution  for  Agricultural  Education. — Dona- 
ting a  Farm. — Neglected  Facilities. 

ALTHOUGH  reared  on  a  farm  from  his  eighth  year, 
the  rugged  hills  of  De  Ruyter  did  not  offer  suf- 
ficient attractions  to  induce  the  youth,  Ezra  Cor- 
nell, to  choose  the  farmer's  life  as  his  vocation. 
Whether,  if  his  lot  had  been  cast  in  a  more  at- 
tractive agricultural  region,  he  would  as  readily 
have  forsaken  the  farm  to  enter  upon  the  labori- 
ous occupation  of  a  carpenter,  cannot  be  stated 
with  any  satisfactory  assurance.  Affectionately 
attached  to  his  parents  and  family,  every  influ- 
ence of  consanguinity  would  seem  to  have  been 
favorable  to  his  remaining  at  home.  Perhaps  the 
natural  ambition  of  youth,  which  too  often  assists 
in  the  planning  of  "air  castles,  "  would  have  in- 


RURAL    TASTES.  121 

duced  a  change  under  any  circumstances.  Certain 
it  is,  however,  that  in  all  of  his  mature  years,  Mr. 
Cornell  had  an  inextinguishable  longing  for  farm 
life,  and  whenever  other  duties  permitted  him  to 
follow  the  bent  of  his  own  real  pleasure  he  was 
drawn  irresistibly  to  rural  affairs.  In  selecting 
a  homestead  after  his  marriage,  instead  of  choos- 
ing an  ordinary  village  lot  convenient  to  business, 
he  went  outside  the  village  and  secured  a  plot 
of  several  acres,  upon  which  he  built  his  home. 
Here  he  spent  much  of  his  leisure  time  in  the 
planting  and  cultivation  of  fruit,  and  within  a  few 
years  possessed  the  choicest  orchard  to  be  found 
in  the  whole  region  about.  He  was  a  close  ob- 
server, and  speedily  became  an  accomplished 
pomologist  and  an  excellent  authority  on  the 
character  and  habits  of  insects  injurious  to  the 
orchard. 

Agricultural  periodicals  and  publications  relat- 
ing to  farming,  fruit  culture,  and  stock  raising 
were  ever  favorite  reading  for  him,  and  he  was  a 
frequent  contributor  to  many  of  the  leading  jour- 
nals on  all  of  these  subjects.  He  was  especially 
interested  in  improved  methods  of  cultivation,  the 
introduction  of  labor-saving  implements  and  ma- 
chinery, and  in  the  improvement  of  the  breeds  of 
domestic  animals.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
founders  of  the  Tompkins  County  Agricultural 


122  EZRA    CORNELL. 

and  Horticultural  Society,  and  devoted  much  time 
and  labor  to  the  success  of  its  exhibitions  dur- 
ing the  early  years  of  its  existence.  As  early  as 
1840,  Mr.  Cornell  purchased  at  the  cattle  show  of 
the  American  Institute,  a  superior  thoroughbred, 
short-horn  bull,  named  "  Arab ;  "  a  number  of 
pure  bred  South-down  sheep,  and  a  pair  of  Berk- 
shire pigs,  which  he  brought  to  Ithaca  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  domestic  stock  of  the  Tompkins 
County  farmers.  These  were  the  first  pure  bred 
animals  which  were  ever  brought  into  that  county, 
and  were  greatly  admired  by  all  lovers  of  fine 
stock.  "Arab"  proved  an  extremely  valuable  sire, 
and  the  result  of  his  breeding  with  the  native 
stock  was  such  as  to  make  his  name  remembered 
for  many  years  after  he  had  passed  away  ;  and  not 
a  few  of  the  most  celebrated  milking  families  of 
cows,  which  at  this  time  are  so  numerous  in  that 
excellent  dairy  region,  are  indebted  to  him  for  their 
good  qualities.  The  benefit  of  the  new  blood  on 
the  sheep  and  swine  of  the  locality  was  also  of 
marked  character,  but  of  course  it  did  not  attract 
so  much  attention  as  in  the  case  of  the  cattle. 

Constantly  engrossing  occupation  in  the  tele- 
graph field,  covering  a  period  of  about  a  dozen 
years,  kept  Mr.  Cornell  so  continually  engaged 
as  to  prohibit  any  considerable  attention  to  agricul- 
tural affairs.  When,  however,  by  the  successful 


SHOR  T  HORNS.  1 2  3 

organization  of  the  Western  Union  Company,  he 
was  relieved  in  large  measure  from  personal  re- 
sponsibility, and  enabled  to  withdraw  somewhat 
from  the  direct  supervision  of  his  telegraph  inter- 
ests, he  resumed  his  rural  habits  with  all  of  the 
enthusiasm  of  a  novice. 

Governed  by  an  impulse  never  before  fully  sat- 
isfied, in  the  spring  of  1857  he  purchased  a  su- 
perior farm  of  about  three  hundred  acres,  adjoining 
the  village  of  Ithaca,  upon  which  he  established 
the  residence  of  his  family.  Here  he  planted  ex- 
tensive orchards,  and  conducted  many  experi- 
ments in  agricultural  science  for  the  purpose  of 
demonstrating  various  theories  which  were  advo- 
cated by  progressive  minds.  He  gathered  here, 
also,  a  magnificent  herd  of  Short  Horn  cattle, 
which  attracted  visitors  and  customers  from  every 
section  of  the  United  States.  It  embraced  rep- 
resentatives of  the  most  valuable  families  of  this 
celebrated  breed,  many  of  them  acquired  at  prices 
which  would  have  been  deemed  fabulous  by  per- 
sons not  familiar  with  the  current  value  of  such 
animals. 

He  imported  Short  Horns,  and  also  South-down 
sheep,  from  England,  besides  making  extensive 
purchases  from  the  best  herds  in  New  York 
and  Kentucky.  The  "  Forest  Park  "  cattle  were  for 
many  years  prominent  in  the  exhibition  rings  of  the 


124  EZRA    CORNELL. 

New  York  State  Agricultural  Fairs,  and  animals 
of  Mr.  Cornell's  raising  were  sold  to  breeders 
in  at  least  twenty  different  States,  some,  indeed, 
going  to  England— many  single  animals  selling  at 
prices  ranging  all  the  way  from  $i,oco  to  $10,000 
each.  This  celebrated  herd  of  cattle,  which  had 
attained  an  enviable  repute,  was  finally  dispersed, 
some  years  after  the  death  of  its  owner,  on  ac- 
count of  the  principal  part  of  the  homestead  farm 
going  into  the  possession  of  the  University  as  a 
portion  of  his  munificent  endowment. 

The  Farmers'  Club  at  Ithaca  owed  its  exist- 
ence and  much  of  its  prosperity  to  Mr.  Cornell's 
active  support  and  generous  patronage.  It  was 
organized  at  a  meeting  of  the  leading  farmers  and 
fruit-growers  of  that  and  the  adjoining  towns, 
which  was  convened  upon  his  invitation.  At  his 
own  expense  he  maintained  a  club  and  reading- 
room,  which  was  provided  with  an  excellent  col- 
lection of  literature  appropriate  to  the  subjects  of 
consideration,  including  most  of  the  agricultural 
journals  of  America  and  some  of  European  publi- 
cation. Meetings  were  held  weekly,  at  which 
subjects  of  especial  interest  were  discussed,  and 
not  unfrequently  carefully  prepared  papers  were 
read  by  members  of  the  club.  Mr.  Cornell  was 
a  regular  attendant  on  those  occasions,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  discussions  with  his  neigh- 


STATE  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY.  125 

bors.  In  erecting  the  Cornell  Library  building, 
lie  arranged  a  large  and  handsome  room,  which 
he  dedicated  to  the  use  of  the  Farmers'  Club,  suit- 
able for  its  gatherings,  and  also  for  library  and 
museum  purposes. 

In  1858  Mr.  Cornell  was  elected  to  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Tompkins  County  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  Society,  and,  by  earnest  efforts,  he 
succeeded  in  enlisting  a  renewed  participation  in 
the  affairs  of  the  society  among  the  farmers  of 
the  county.  The  annual  fairs,  which  were  held 
under  his  administration,  were  the  most  successful 
in  the  history  of  the  organization,  thus  placing  its 
financial  affairs  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition. 
Mr.  Cornell  was  for  many  years  a  life  member  of 
the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society,  and 
was  accustomed  to  devote  much  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  duties  of  its  Executive  Committee,  of 
which  he  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  member. 
He  contributed  much  to  the  success  of  the  annual 
exhibitions,  and  it  was  his  usual  practice  to  be  in 
attendance  throughout  these  interesting  occasions. 
In  1862  he  was  chosen  President  of  the  society, 
and  in  that  capacity  attended  the  great  Interna- 
tional Exposition  at  London,  as  the  official  rep- 
resentative of  the  New  York  State  Agricultural 

o 

Society,  where  he  was  the  recipient  of  marked 
attention  and  courtesies. 


126  EZRA    CORNELL. 

This  was  the  first,  and,  as  it  proved,  the  only 
visit  to  Europe  which  it  was  Mr.  Cornell's  good 
fortune  to  make,  and,  as  may  well  be  imagined, 
it  was  to  him  an  occasion  of  the  most  absorbing 
interest.  With  his  wide  practical  knowledge  and 
useful  habits  of  observation,  he  saw  and  appre- 
ciated much  that  would  have  escaped  the  atten- 
tion of  travellers,  who  fail  to  utilize  their  oppor- 
tunities. Sailing  from  New  York  in  May,  1862, 
by  the  Inman  steamship  City  of  Baltimore,  he 
was  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Cornell  and  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  State  Agricultural  Society.  After  an 
extremely  rough  passage,  considering  the  season 
of  the  year,  he  arrived  in  Liverpool  early  in  June, 
and  proceeded  immediately  to  the  discharge  of 
his  official  duties  in  connection  with  the  Exposi- 
tion, devoting  several  weeks  to  these  labors.  He 
next  visited  a  number  of  the  noted  Short  Horn 
herds  of  England,  and  made  some  purchases  of 
choice  representatives  of  this  popular  breed  of 
animals  for  his  herd  at  Forest  Park,  as  well  also 
as  some  South-down  sheep.  He  travelled  exten- 
sively throughout  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  and 
Ireland,  occupying  for  this  purpose  nearly  a 
month  of  his  valuable  time. 

After  having  visited  the  most  accessible  points 
of  attraction  in  the  British  islands,  Mr.  Cornell,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife  and  other  friends,  proceeded 


EUROPEAN   TRAVEL.  127 

to  the  Continent  of  Europe,  and  devoted  several 
weeks  to  a  hurried  trip  through  France,  Switzer- 
land, Holland,  Germany,  and  Austria,  visiting  such 
places  of  special  interest  as  the  limited  time  at 
their  command  would  permit.  He  was  an  enthu- 
siastic admirer  of  the  architectural  wonders  of  the 
European  cities,  and  greatly  enjoyed  the  oppor- 
tunity of  inspecting  many  of  the  grand  Cathedrals 
within  the  range  of  his  journey.  The  necessity 
of  returning  to  London  to  complete  his  official 
engagement  in  connection  with  the  Exposition, 
obliged  him  to  curtail  his  continental  travel  much 
within  the  limit  of  his  desires,  and  he  was  unable 
to  resume  it,  owing  to  the  necessity  of  his  re- 
turning home  in  time  to  give  personal  super- 
vision to  the  annual  fair  of  the  State  Society  in 
September.  This  exhibition  occurred  in  the 
darkest  year  of  the  war  for  the  suppression  of 
the  great  rebellion,  and  although  the  country  was 
in  the  very  depths  of  gloom,  the -fair  was,  consid- 
ering all  circumstances,  a  grand  success. 

As  President  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society, 
Mr.  Cornell  was,  ex  officio,  a  trustee  of  the  New 
York  State  Agricultural  College,  then  located  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Willard  Asylum  for  the  In- 
sane, at  Ovid,  Seneca  County.  This  institution 
owed  its  existence  to  the  efforts  of  leading  ag- 
riculturists of  the  State,  to  provide  for  furnishing 


128  EZRA    CORNELL. 

instruction  in  the  various  sciences  relating  to 
agriculture  and  its  kindred  pursuits.  Substan- 
tially all  of  the  funds  so  generously  provided  for 
the  college  had  been  expended  in  the  purchase 
of  a  magnificent  estate  of  several  hundred  acres, 
and  in  the  erection  of  a  large  and  imposing  college 
edifice. 

The  institution  was  quite  destitute  of  proper 
equipment,  and  was  wholly  wanting  in  endowment 
to  aid  in  its  support.  Its  doors  had  been  opened 
for  the  admission  of  students  the  preceding  year, 
but  the  youth  of  the  State  responded  in  meagre 
numbers.  Upon  entering  the  management  Mr. 
Cornell  found  the  College  languishing  for  want 
of  an  adequate  income  to  give  it  vitality.  The 
object  of  its  organization  greatly  interested  him, 
and  after  a  thorough  examination  into  the  condi- 
tion of  its  affairs,  he  proposed  to  the  trustees  that, 
if  the  institution  were  removed  and  located  at  Ith- 
aca, he  would  endow  it  with  a  fund  of  $300,000 
for  its  maintenance,  in  case  the  Legislature  would 
donate  to  it  one-half  of  the  College  Land  Grant 
Fund,  which  had  been  provided  by  Congress 
for  the  support  of  agricultural  and  mechanical 
colleges. 

This  fund  had  already  been  appropriated  in  fa- 
vor of  an  embryo  college  located  at  Havana, 
Schuyler  County,  called  the  People's  College,  but 


AGRICULTURAL   EDUCATION.  129 

this  was  not  regarded  as  a  suitable  disposition 
of  it,  and  there  was  considerable  dissatisfaction 
on  this  account.  The  controversy  which  ensued 
was  diversified  by  a  demand  on  the  part  of  sev- 
eral colleges  for  a  division  of  the  fund  amongst 
them.  This  sentiment  became  so  strong  that  the 
more  intelligent  friends  of  education  became 
alarmed  for  fear  this  princely  donation  from  the 
general  government,  consisting  of  nine  hundred 
and  ninety  thousand  acres  of  the  public  lands, 
might  be  wholly  dissipated  and  rendered  useless 
by  division  into  small  portions  among  existing 
colleges. 

The  Legislature  thereupon  directed  the  board  of 
Regents  of  the  University  to  investigate  and  in- 
quire into  the  condition  of  the  People's  College, 
and  report  as  to  the  adequacy  of  that  institution 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  acts  by  which  it 
had  been  made  the  beneficiary  of  the  Land  Grant 
Fund.  Their  report  was  adverse  to  the  pretentions 
of  the  People's  College,  whereupon  legislation  was 
promoted  resulting  in  the  incorporation  of  the  Cor- 
nell University,  which  will  be  the  subject  of  more 
extended  observation  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

The  act  of  incorporation  of  the  Cornell  Uni- 
versity provided  that  it  should  be  located  in  "  the 
town  of  Ithaca,"  and  that  "  the  farm  and  grounds 
to  be  occupied  by  said  corporation,  whereon  its 

9 


130  EZRA    CORNELL. 

buildings  shall  be  erected,  in  such  manner  and  to 
such  extent  as  the  trustees  may  from  time  to  time 
direct  and  provide  for,  shall  consist  of  not  less  than 
two  hundred  acres."  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  University  it  was  the  unanimous  voice  of  all 
concerned  that  Mr.  Cornell's  farm  was  beyond 
comparison  the  most  eligible  and  advantageous 
site  that  could  be  selected  within  the  "town  of 
Ithaca,"  to  which  the  authority  of  the  trustees 
was  confined  by  the  charter ;  and  whoever  may 
have  been  privileged  to  view  the  institution  in  its 
developed  form,  may  be  safely  depended  upon  to 
declare  that  no  more  magnificent  or  appropriate 
location  could  have  been  selected  within  the  broad 
domain  of  the  entire  State,  had  such  a  choice  been 
authorized. 

Although  the  board  of  trustees  would  have 
been  entirely  justified  in  purchasing  the  farm  at 
its  full  value,  Mr.  Cornell  demonstrated  his  entire 
unselfishness  in  dictating  the  location  of  the  Uni- 
versity at  Ithaca,  by  presenting  to  the  trustees  a 
warranty  deed  of  the  property,  without  fee  or 
reward  of  any  kind,  thus  adding  the  value  of  the 
farm  to  his  already  magnificent  endowment  of  half 
a  million  dollars.  This  disposition  of  his  farm 
and  incessant  occupation  in  promoting  the  va- 
rious interests  of  the  University  during  all  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  rendered  it  impracticable  for 


FACILITIES  NEGLECTED.  131 

him  to  devote  himself  further  to  the  gratification 
of  rural  tastes. 

In  the  charter  of  the  Cornell  University,  agri- 
culture is  named  first  in  order  as  one  of  the  sub- 
jects of  education,  and  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
special  faculties  in  the  general  organization  of 
the  University,  that  of  "  Agriculture  "  is  given  the 
place  of  rank.  This  predominance,  which  is  in 
proper  accord  with  the  original  act  of  Congress 
creating  the  Land  Grant  Fund,  was  given  to  that 
particular  subject  in  deference  to  the  expressed 
wish  of  Mr.  Cornell.  Throughout  the  entire  ca- 
reer of  the  University  the  faculty  has  been  kept 
especially  strong  in  its  membership  in  all  of  the 
branches  of  learning  related  to  that  science,  and 
the  fact  that  this  course  has  attracted  less  pa- 
tronage from  the  young  men  of  the  State  than 
any  other  principal  department  is,  certainly,  no 
fault  of  the  University  authorities.  The  meagre 
development  of  this  branch  of  the  University 
course  can  only  be  attributed  to  the  general  in- 
difference of  the  farmers  of  the  State  to  the  edu- 
cation of  their  sons  in  the  higher  branches  of 
agricultural  science.  The  neglect  of  these  val- 
uable facilities  by  the  farming  interests  was,  to 
the  generous  founder,  the  cause  of  deep  and  sin- 
cere regret,  although  in  every  other  direction  the 
University  was  a  complete  and  gratifying  success. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PUBLIC  LIFE. 

Duty  of  Citizens. — Activity  in  Public  Affairs. — Political  Manage- 
ment.— Delegate  to  first  National  Republican  Convention. — 
Fremont.— Seward. — Lincoln. — Elected  to  State  Assembly. — 
Re-elected. — State  Senator. — Second  Term. — Declines  farther 
Service. — Legislative  Labors. — Measures  Supported. — Official 
Fidelity. 

POPULAR  government,  like  ours,  based  on  an  ex- 
tremely liberal  and  extended  elective  franchise, 
constantly  demands  the  considerate  attention  of  all 
classes  of  reputable  citizens  to  securely  protect 
the  public  interest  from  injury  by  prejudicial  in- 
fluences. The  very  liberality  of  the  franchise, 
and  especially  the  extraordinary  facility  for  attain- 
ing citizenship,  affords  constant  temptation  for 
those  having  slight  concern  in  the  public  welfare 
to  seize  every  opportunity  for  abusing  the  great 
privileges  thus  generously  granted  them.  It  is 
the  more  to  be  regretted,  therefore,  that  any  class 
of  intelligent  and  prosperous  citizens  should  be 
inclined  to  avoid  the  duty  of  active  participation 
in  the  direction  and  conduct  of  public  affairs. 
Worthy  and  commendable  in  every  other  respect, 


PUBLIC  D  UTIES.  1 3  3 

as  in  truth  it  must  be  admitted,  the  Quakers  are 
certainly  disposed  to  evade  this  duty.  Having 
large  property  interests  at  stake,  and  thus  pecu- 
liarly exposed  to  the  evils  of  improvident  and  un- 
wise administration,  it  is  particularly  unfortunate 
that  they,  as  a  class,  should  not  cheerfully  exercise 
the  influence  in  public  concerns  to  which  they  are 
justly  entitled.  By  no  other  dangers  are  our 
free  institutions  more  seriously  menaced  than  by 
the  habitual  and  inexcusable  neglect  of  appro- 
priate political  duties  by  prosperous  and  self-re- 
specting citizens. 

Quite  in  contrast  with  the  ordinary  custom  and 
peculiarity  of  the  Quaker  people  in  this  respect, 
Mr.  Cornell  was  accustomed,  from  early  manhood, 
to  take  an  active  part  in  public  concerns.  Whether 
this  variation  from  the  traditions  and  practices  of 
the  ancestry  from  which  he  descended  was  due  to, 
or  influenced  by,  the  discipline  administered  to  him 
as  punishment  for  marrying  out  of  the  sect,  cannot 
be  stated  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  What- 
ever the  cause  may  have  been,  it  is  a  fact,  well 
known  to  those  acquainted  with  him,  that  he  was, 
far  beyond  the  average  of  men,  interested  in  man- 
agement and  direction  of  public  affairs.  In  the 
early  years  of  his  career  it  was  customary  for 
him  to  exercise  a  potent  influence  in  the  determi- 
nation of  events,  not  only  in  the  school  district, 


134  EZRA    CORNELL. 

but  as  well  in  the  local  affairs  of  the  village,  town, 
and  county.  He  was  an  ardent  Whig  in  politics, 
and  occupied  an  influential  position  in  the  coun- 
sels of  that  party. 

Always  alert  and  energetic  in  any  cause  in 
which  he  enlisted,  Mr.  Cornell  was  enabled  to 
render  valuable  service  to  his  party  organization 
as  a  member  of  its  local  committees.  For  a  period 
of  a  dozen  years  after  making  his  residence  at 
Ithaca  he  was  accustomed  to  give  much  attention 
to  the  details  of  political  work.  He  was  neither 
an  office-holder  nor  an  office-seeker,  but  he  felt  it 
a  patriotic  duty  to  contribute  his  mite  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  those  political  interests  which  rep- 
resented his  peculiar  faith.  He  had  an  admira- 
ble faculty  for  promoting  systematic  organization 
which  enabled  him  to  forecast  results  and  thus 
more  effectually  to  accomplish  success  otherwise 
unattainable.  He  was  especially  active  in  the 
great  Log  Cabin  campaign  of  1840,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  elevation  of  General  Harrison  to  the 
Presidency.  The  lamented  death  of  the  new 
President  within  a  month  of  his  inauguration  was 
a  sad  blow  to  the  partisans  who  had  labored  so 
zealously  for  his  election. 

Absence  from  home  much  of  the  time  subse- 
quent to  1842,  and  the  pre-occupation  of  his 
mind  consequent  upon  the  constant  and  absorb- 


REPUBLICAN  PARTY.  135 

ing  labors  in  the  development  of  the  telegraph  en- 
terprise, diverted  Mr.  Cornell  almost  wholly  from 
attention  to  local  politics  for  many  years.  Although 
continuing  his  affiliation  with  the  Whig  party,  and 
taking  a  lively  interest  in  the  general  political 
questions  of  the  State  and  Nation,  he  took  no 
part  in  the  direction  of  partisan  matters  at  home 
until  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party. 

His  sympathies  had  always  been  in  accord  with 
the  anti-slavery  element  of  the  Whig  party,  so 
that,  when  a  general  re-organization  of  the  great 
parties  resulted  from  conflict  on  the  question  of 
limiting  the  extension  of  slavery  into  free  terri- 
tory, it  found  him  enlisted  as  a  determined  oppo- 
nent of  the  slave  power.  Mr.  Cornell  was  one 
of  the  delegates  representing  the  State  of  New 
York  in  the  first  Republican  National  Convention, 
that  assembled  in  Pittsburgh  in  February,  1856. 

In  the  great  Free  Soil  campaign  of  that  year 
he  took  an  extremely  active  part  in  support  of 
John  C.  Fremont  as  the  Republican  candidate 
for  the  Presidency,  and  he  was  a  generous  con- 
tributor in  support  of  the  Republican  party  in  all 
of  the  succeeding  years,  until  it  finally  accom- 
plished the  complete  success  of  its  candidates  in  the 
general  election  of  1860.  Mr.  Cornell  very  ear- 
nestly favored  the  nomination  of  Governor  Sew- 
ard  for  the  Presidency,  in  the  latter  year,  but, 


136  EZRA    CORNELL. 

with  equal  earnestness  supported  the  candidacy 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  when  he  was  selected  as  the 
Presidential  nominee  by  the  action  of  the  Na- 
tional Convention.  The  Republicans  of  New  York 
were  sorely  disappointed  by  the  failure  to  secure 
the  promotion  of  Governor  Seward  at  Chicago, 
and  nothing  in  the  political  history  of  the  country 
illustrates  more  honorable  devotion  in  behalf  of 
party  organization,  than  the  remarkably  faithful 
support  which  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Lincoln  in  the 
Empire  State  in  the  campaign  which  ensued. 

In  the  autumn  of  1861  Mr.  Cornell  was  placed 
in  nomination  by  the  Republican  Convention  of 
Tompkins  County  for  the  office  of  member  of 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York  This  action 
was  taken  without  his  knowledge,  and  was  the 
spontaneous  and  unanimous  tribute  of  the  repre- 
sentative Republicans  of  the  county,  in  recog- 
nition of  his  generous  services  rendered  in  be- 
half of  the  soldiers  and  their  families  during  the 
first  year  of  the  civil  war.  He  accepted  the 
nomination  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  tendered, 
and  was  elected  by  a  very  large  majority,  receiving 
a  vote  numbering  considerably  in  excess  of  his 
party  candidates.  His  services  in  the  Assembly 
proved  so  satisfactory  to  his  constituents,  that  he 
was  the  following  year  re-nominated  by  acclama- 
tion and  re-elected  by  a  largely  increased  majority. 


MEMBER    OF  ASSEMBLY.  137 

In  the  second  Assembly  of  which  Mr.  Cornell 
was  a  member,  that  of  1863,  the  Republican  and 
Democratic  parties  were  evenly  divided,  each 
having  sixty-four  members,  and,  as  a  natural  con- 
sequence, a  deadlock  ensued  as  to  the  choice  of 
Speaker  and  the  other  officers  of  the  House.  Thus 
a  prolonged  and  bitter  partisan  struggle  was  in- 
augurated, which  was  continued,  with  constantly 
increasing  acrimony,  for  a  period  of  three  weeks 
before  an  organization  of  the  Assembly  was  finally 
effected.  The  extraordinary  excitement,  incident 
to  the  abnormal  condition  of  the  country  during 
the  progress  of  the  war,  tended  to  heighten  the 
ardor  which  would  ordinarily  attend  such  an  oc- 
casion. Few  contests  of  this  nature — certainly 
none  in  this  State — have  been  productive  of  so 
much  political  feeling  and  asperity. 

Heartily  tired  of  service  in  the  Assembly,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  the  unpleasant  incidents  of  the 
Speakership  contest  of  his  second  session,  a  very 
agreeable  change  was  experienced  by  Mr.  Cor- 
nell in  his  subsequent  legislative  career.  In  the 
fall  of  1863  the  Republicans  of  Tompkins  County 
designated  him  as  their  choice  for  nomination 
as  State  Senator,  for  the  twenty-fourth  district, 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Broome,  Tioga,  and 
Tompkins.  No  candidate  was  presented  on  be- 
half of  the  other  counties,  and  he  was  conse- 


138  EZRA    CORNELL. 

quently  nominated  for  that  office  without  oppo- 
sition in  the  district  convention.  At  the  ensuing 
election  he  was  duly  chosen  by  a  very  large  vote 
in  the  aggregate,  having  been  honored  with  a 
handsome  majority  in  each  of  the  several  coun- 
ties comprising  the  district. 

The  Senate  proved  far  more  congenial  to  his 
tastes  and  habits  than  the  Assembly,  and  he  took 
rank  in  the  smaller  and  more  appreciative  body, 
more  in  conformity  with  his  practical  abilities  and 
large  experience  in  affairs.  His  success  in  the 
representation  of  the  district,  during  the  first  two 
years  of  service  in  the  Senate,  was  very  signal- 
ly attested  by  the  fact  that,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  term,  he  was  re-nominated  by  acclamation  by 
the  delegates  of  his  party  from  the  three  coun- 
ties, in  district  convention  assembled,  without  the 
dissent  of  a  single  voice.  This  very  complimen- 
tary action  of  partisan  friends,  was  in  due  order 
ratified  by  the  electors  of  the  district  in  Novem- 
ber following,  when  he  received  still  more  flatter- 
ing evidences  of  public  appreciation.  Returning 
with  a  renewed  commission,  Mr.  Cornell  found 
the  Senate  very  much  changed  in  its  personnel, 
containing  as  it  did  twenty-five  new  Senators. 

This  circumstance  was  calculated  to  greatly 
enhance  the  relative  influence  of  the  few  old 
Senators,  in  the  disposition  of  business  coming 


STATE  SENATOR.  139 

before  them,  as  well  as  to  increase  their  labors. 
Mr.  Cornell  devoted  himself  to  Senatorial  duties 
with  great  assiduity  until  the  close  of  his  second 
term,  in  1867,  when  he  positively  declined  a  re- 
election, which  awaited  him  with  great  unanimity. 
Having  thus  served  six  years  continuously  in  the 
Legislature — two  years  in  the  Assembly  and  four 
in  the  Senate — he  felt  that  he  had  fairly  earned 
exemption  from  further  service.  Besides,  hav- 
ing taken  upon  himself  the  burden  of  locating 
and  managing  the  public  lands  for  the  benefit  of 
the  University,  he  felt  desirous  of  dedicating  his 
undivided  energies  to  that  important  work. 

As  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  Mr.  Cornell 
gave  his  earnest  support  to  all  measures  which 
were  calculated  to  strengthen  the  cause  of  the 
Union  in  the  struggle  for  its  maintenance.  The 
vigorous  manner  in  which  the  law-making  power 
of  the  State  of  New  York  sustained  the  federal 
authorities  in  their  conflict  with  the  rebellion,  was 
one  of  the  most  important  elements  of  final  victory. 
The  act  extending  to  the  New  York  soldiers  in 
the  field,  in  distant  States,  the  facilities  of  voting 
for  President  at  their  homes,  by  sending  their 
votes  to  designated  friends  to  be  cast  for  them, 
was  very  cordially  supported  by  him. 

The  subjects  which,  next  to  the  preservation 
of  the  Union,  occupied  Mr.  Cornell's  attention 


140  EZRA    CORNELL. 

more  especially,  were  those  of  agriculture  and 
public  education.  He  regarded  one  as  the  foun- 
dation of  the  material  prosperity  of  the  State,  and 
the  other  as  the  safeguard  of  the  liberties  of  the 
people,  and  that  its  general  dissemination  would, 
more  than  anything  else,  serve  to  perpetuate 
our  free  institutions.  He  therefore  gave  partic- 
ular attention  to  the  consideration  and  promotion 
of  various  questions  which  he  deemed  advanta- 
geous to  these  interests.  The  first  legislation 
providing  stringent  regulations  to  guard  against 
the  spread  of  contagious  diseases  among  cattle 
was  due  to  his  influence.  Under  it  the  Governor 
was  invested  with  extraordinary  power,  through 
agents  acting  in  his  name  and  under  his  direction, 
to  quarantine  herds  of  cattle  ;  to  kill  all  animals 
which  had  been  exposed  to  or  were  likely  to  be 
contaminated  by  disease,  and  providing  for  in- 
demnifying owners  from  the  State  treasury. 

At  frequent  intervals,  during  the  last  few  years, 
by  the  wise  exercise  of  these  arbitrary  powers 
under  executive  direction,  numerous  very  threat- 
ening outbreaks  of  pleuro-pneumonia  have  been 
suppressed,  and  devastation  of  the  great  dairy 
and  cattle  interests  of  the  State  has  been  safely 
guarded  against.  Mr.  Cornell  introduced  and 
passed,  against  great  opposition,  a  bill  to  pro- 
hibit the  running  at  large  of  animals  in  the  streets 


MEASURES  SUPPORTED.  HI 

and  highways  of  the  State.  The  immediate  effect 
of  this  action  was  to  bring  upon  the  devoted 
head  of  its  author,  the  dire  vengeance  of  those 
who  deemed  that  they  were  to  be  deprived  of 
the  natural  right  of  pasturing  their  animals  in  the 
public  roadway.  The  manifest  propriety  of  the 
provision,  won  the  majority  of  people  to  its  sup- 
port, and  the  intolerable  nuisance,  once  so  preva- 
lent, of  cattle  roaming  at  will  in  public,  has  been 
almost  entirely  eradicated,  thus  permitting  the  re- 
moval of  fences  and  the  adornment  of  lawns  of 
many  a  rural  village  throughout  the  State.  Though 
of  trifling  interest  compared  with  other  public 
measures,  the  effect  of  this  reform  has  been  mar- 
velous, when  realized,  and  the  present  situation 
contrasted  with  the  old. 

Many  other  acts  were  promoted  by  the  advo- 
cacy of  Mr.  Cornell,  but  which  need  not  receive 
especial  mention  in  this  connection.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  finance  committee  of  the  Sen- 
ate, and  devoted  close  attention  to  the  consid- 
eration of  financial  questions.  He  was  an  un- 
compromising advocate  of  sustaining  the  credit  of 
the  State  by  payment  of  the  principal  and  in- 
terest of  the  public  debt  in  specie,  in  accordance 
with  the  true  spirit  of  the  contract  under  which 
the  obligation  was  incurred.  In  providing  for 
extraordinary  expenditures  incident  to  the  pros- 


142  EZRA    CORNELL. 

ecution  of  the  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  re- 
bellion, Mr.  Cornell  insisted  that  ample  provision 
should  be  made  for  the  creation  of  sinking  funds 
for  the  gradual  extinction  of  liabilities  created. 

Under  the  salutary  operation  of  these  wisely 
framed  statutes  the  State  has  long  since  dis- 
charged every  dollar  of  the  war  debt,  and,  indeed, 
of  all  other  State  indebtedness,  except  a  small 
remnant  of  the  Canal  Fund  debt,  not  yet  ma- 
tured, but  for  which  complete  provision  is  made 
in  the  collection  of  an  annual  contribution  to  the 
sinking  fund  for  this  purpose,  which  will  entirely  ex- 
tinguish that  obligation  before  its  maturity,  and 
within  a  very  few  years  from  the  present  time. 
The  bill  for  the  incorporation  of  the  Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  was  zeal- 
ously supported  by  Mr.  Cornell,  and  the  final  pas- 
sage of  the  measure,  which  was  vigorously  resisted 
by  an  influential  lobby,  was  due  largely  to  his 
vigilance  and  persistence  in  its  behalf.  The  ex- 
tremely valuable  results  which  have  followed  the 
enactment  of  this  measure  have  more  than  vindi- 
cated the  wisdom  of  its  promoters. 

While  not  endowed  with  any  considerable  facil- 
ity for  public  speaking  and,  therefore,  taking  but 
little  part  in  the  formal  discussions  of  the  Assem- 
bly or  Senate,  Mr.  Cornell  was  accustomed  to 
state  his  views  on  public  questions  with  a  brevity 


OFFICIAL   FIDELITY.  143 

and  clearness  of  expression,  which,  supported  by 
his  well-merited  repute  for  practical  good  sense, 
gave  his  voice  more  than  ordinary  weight  of  au- 
thority. He  was  indefatigable  in  attention  to  his 
duties,  and  rendered  invaluable  service  in  the 
work  of  the  committee  room.  His  wide  range 
of  experience  and  extended  knowledge  of  many 
subjects  gave  him  an  enviable  influence  in  the 
disposition  of  business  before  committees  of  which 
he  was  a  member. 

The  truthfulness  of  his  character  and  the  fairness 
with  which  he  was  accustomed  to  treat  all  ques- 
tions coming  before  him  for  consideration,  gave 
him  in  general  the  unreserved  confidence  of  his 
associates,  and  his  position  in  support  of,  or  in 
opposition  to,  a  measure  was  almost  sure  to  carry 
others  with  him.  While  he  was  habitually  public- 
spirited  in  reference  to  the  expenditure  of  State 
funds  for  meritorious  purposes,  he  was  especially 
pronounced  in  his  opposition  to  useless  or  ex- 
travagant measures.  In  the  discharge  of  official 
duty  he  was  governed  solely  by  his  own  view 
of  the  public  interest.  Neither  the  solicitation 
of  friends  nor  the  menace  of  opponents  was  ef- 
fective in  influencing  him  in  the  performance  of 
what  he  believed  to  be  his  sworn  duty.  No  more 
resolute  and  unimpeachable  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature ever  sat  in  either  house. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
\ 

THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

Anti-Slavery  Agitation. — Personal  Observations. — Opposition  to 
Slavery  Extension. — Repeal  of  Missouri  Compromise. — Free 
Territories. — Republican  Success. — Treasonable  Teachings. 
—The  Great  Rebellion. — Call  for  Troops. — Sustaining  the 
Government. — Encouraging  Enlistments. — Care  of  Volun- 
teers' Families. — Comfort  of  the  Soldiers. — Visiting  Battle- 
fields and  Hospitals. — Aiding  the  Sick  and  Wounded. — Care 
of  Orphans. — Restoration  of  the  Union. — Sustaining  the 
Veterans. 

IN  the  long-continued  and  never-ending  contro- 
versy over  the  slavery  question,  Mr.  Cornell's 
sympathies  were  ever  on  the  side  of  freedom. 
The  first  serious  contention  which  threatened  to 
cause  forcible  conflict  with  the  Federal  authority 
—the  nullification  acts  of  South  Carolina — hap- 
pened soon  after  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
From  this  period,  in  all  of  the  various  divisions  of 
political  sentiment  into  which  the  "  irrepressible 
conflict "  forced  itself  continuously,  or  at  least  at 
frequent  intervals,  during  the  thirty  years  which 
elapsed  prior  to  its  final  culmination  in  open  re- 
bellion, he  was  uniformly  to  be  found  with  the 


IRREPRESSIBLE   CONFLICT.  145 

friends  of  the  black  race.  Though  never  identi- 
fied by  political  association  with  that  small  class 
of  advanced  thinkers  who  declared  themselves 
abolitionists,  he  was  nevertheless  in  full  sympa- 
thy with  their  object.  Extensive  range  of  travel 
through  several  of  the  Southern  States  had  given 
him  more  than  ordinary  opportunity  for  observ- 
ing the  evils  resulting  from  slavery,  and  it  was 
his  belief  that  the  white  people  themselves  suf- 
fered but  little  less  than  the  colored  race  from 
those  evils. 

He  saw  that  civilization  was  apparently  declin- 
ing instead  of  advancing,  and  that  the  great 
States  of  the  South  were  really  being  dwarfed 
by  the  presence  of  the  institution  which  their 
people  so  jealously  guarded.  In  his  letters 
written  while  journeying  in  the  South,  he  fre- 
quently contrasted  the  prospects  of  the  two 
sections,  and  clearly  predicted  the  inevitable  re- 
sults of  the  constantly  increasing  advance  in 
wealth  and  power  which  the  Northern  States 
were  making  as  compared  with  those  of  the 
South. 

But  while  fully  sympathizing  with  the  general 
objects  desired  by  the  abolitionists,  Mr.  Cornell, 
like  the  great  majority  of  the  true  friends  of  free- 
dom, was  unable  to  see  that  the  final  liberation 
of  the  bondmen  was  to  be  hastened  by  ill-ad- 


146  EZRA    CORNELL. 

vised,  premature  efforts.  He  was,  therefore,  in 
full  accord  with  the  sentiments  of  the  Republican 
party  in  its  declaration  of  opposition  to  the  farther 
extension  of  slavery.  While  there  might  be  no 
lawful  means  to  eradicate  it  from  its  existing  lim- 
its, it  should  not  thrust  itself  upon  other  States 
or  Territories.  Descended  as  he  was  from  a  long 
line  of  Quaker  ancestry,  every  instinct  of  his  na- 
ture responded  in  sympathy  with  the  oppressed. 
The  only  question  as  to  his  political  classifica- 
tion, therefore,  was  governed  by  his  judgment  as 
to  the  most  completely  effective  way  in  which 
ultimate  freedom  could  be  insured. 

Had  the  slaveholders  been  content  to  accept 
the  basis  of  the  non-extension  of  slavery  into 
new  territory,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  their 
favorite  institution  would  have  remained  undis- 
turbed within  its  old  limits  for  many  years.  The 
sentiment  in  the  North  was  practically  unanimous 
against  interference  with  slavery  within  the  States 
where  it  then  existed.  "Those  whom  GOD  wishes 
to  destroy,  He  first  makes  mad."  Never  was  the 
significance  of  this  declaration  more  apparent 
than  in  the  results  which  followed  the  repeal  of 
the  Missouri  compromise.  Designed  thus  to  pro- 
vide for  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  Kansas 
and  Nebraska,  as  well  as  other  new  Territories, 
an  uproar  was  raised  in  the  North  which  effect- 


FORCING    THE  ISSUE,  147 

ually  checked  this  object.  These  new  States  se- 
cured to  freedom,  the  result  of  the  next  census  of 
the  United  States  upon  the  apportionment  of 
Congressional  representation,  must  inevitably  in- 
vest the  Northern  States  with  the  power  to  control 
the  Government  in  any  contest  over  the  vexed 
question. 

It  was  most  undoubtedly  this  anticipation  which 
determined  the  Southern  leaders  to  press  on  the 
issue  to  final  solution  in  advance  of  the  re-ap- 
portionment under  the  approaching  Federal  cen- 
sus. By  many  the  theory  is  fully  believed  that 
the  Democratic  National  Convention  of  1860  was 
purposely  divided  and  forced  to  make  dual  nomi- 
nations, in  order  to  insure  the  election  of  the  Re- 
publican canditates,  and  thus  force  the  issue  of 
secession  by  appealing  to  the  bigoted  resentments 
of  the  Southern  people. 

Like  an  overwhelming  proportion  of  the  North- 
ern people,  Mr.  Cornell  was  unable  to  realize  the 
possibility  of  actual  war  as  the  result  of  the  tri- 
umph of  the  free-soil  sentiment  in  the  election 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency.  The  highly 
extravagant  declarations  of  Southern  speakers 
and  the  Southern  press  were  regarded  as  bravado, 
intended  to  frighten  the  North  from  its  purpose 
of  resisting  the  spread  of  slavery.  The  operations 
of  Buchanan's  War  and  Navy  Departments,  in 


148  EZRA    CORNELL. 

transferring  war  material  from  the  Northern  de- 
positories to  others  in  the  South,  and  in  dispersing 
the  vessels  of  war  to  far-distant  and  inaccessible 
stations,  were  not  generally  appreciated  until  too 
late  for  remedy.  Even  with  the  perfectly  undis- 
guised preparations  for  war,  which  were  so  vigor- 
ously carried  on  in  the  Southern  States,  during 
all  of  the  time  intervening  between  the  election 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  November,  and  his  inauguration 
in  the  following  March,  it  seemed  impossible  for 
law-abiding  citizens  of  the  free  States  to  realize 
that  a  conflict  of  arms  was  really  to  come. 

The  teachings  of  those  who  preferred  slavery  to 
the  perpetuation  of  the  Union,  which  had  been 
so  generally  disseminated  throughout  the  slave 
States  for  a  whole  generation,  had,  however,  done 
great  work.  The  Southern  people  were  terror- 
ized by  what  they  regarded  as  the  real  significance 
of  the  crisis  which  was  approaching.  With  the 
success  of  the  Republican  cause  in  1860,  the  limit 
to  the  extension  of  slavery  would  become  a  fixed 
fact,  and  the  Territories  would  be  dedicated  to  the 
cause  of  freedom,  only  to  produce  free  States  for 
future  admission  to  the  Union.  This  they  con- 
strued to  mean  the  gradual  but  ultimate  fall  of 
slavery,  and  being  fully  resolved  that  this  should 
not  come  without  resistance,  they  reasoned  that 
they  were  then  relatively  stronger  for  the  conflict 


THE   CIVIL  WAR.  149 

than  they  ever  would  be  again.  The  prodigious 
development  of  the  free  States  would  inevitably 
make  the  struggle  the  more  desperate  by  any 
delay. 

Thus  the  conflict  was  approached  with  full 
determination  and  equipment  on  the  one  hand, 
and  with  almost  fatal  blindness  and  lack  of 
preparation  on  the  other.  No  sooner,  however, 
had  the  unmistakable  signal  of  war  been  sounded 
— as  it  was  by  the  firing  of  the  rebel  battery  upon 
the  walls  of  Fort  Sumter — than  the  loyal  North 
was  aroused  to  instant  and  complete  realization  of 
the  situation.  Like  the  sudden  awakening  of 
a  sleeping  giant,  the  free  States  arose  in  the 
grandeur  of  their  strength,  with  unquestioned  de- 
termination that  the  integrity  of  the  Union  should 
be  maintained  and  vindicated — that  no  star  should 
be  blotted  from  the  flag  of  freedom. 

The  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  volunteers  to 
sustain  the  authority  of  the  Government  was  re- 
sponded to  with  alacrity  and  enthusiasm  through- 
out the  Northern  States.  Communities  vied  with 
each  other  in  the  promptitude  with  which  they 
furnished  their  quotas  of  troops.  The  first  neces- 
sity to  promote  enlistments  was  suitable  provision 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  families  of  those  who 
should  go  forth  to  battle.  In  this  patriotic  work 
Mr.  Cornell  took  the  lead  in  the  community  of  his 


EZRA    CORNELL. 

residence.  He  headed  a  public  subscription  with 
a  generous  contribution,  and,  by  his  influence,  a 
large  sum  was  raised  for  the  care  of  these  depend- 
ents. He  accepted  the  chairmanship  of  the  com- 
mittee of  disbursement,  and  devoted  much  time 
and  personal  labor  to  the  painstaking  distribution 
of  this  fund  to  the  families  entitled  to  participate 
therein,  making  extremely  careful  inquiry  into 
the  circumstances  pertaining  to  each  family,  in 
order  to  provide  for  the  faithful  administration  of 
the  trust,  in  accordance  with  the  compact  under 
which  the  enlistments  were  secured. 

As  the  war  progressed,  and  the  struggle  length- 
ened into  months  and  years,  Mr.  Cornell  busied 
himself  in  visiting  the  armies  and  the  hospitals 
in  looking  after  the  personal  comfort  of  the  sol- 
diers from  his  locality.  He  was  at  Washington 
at  the  time  of  the  first  battle  at  Bull  Run,  and  on 
the  Sunday  morning  of  that  event,  he  proceeded 
to  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  in  order  to  be  of  any 
possible  service  to  those  who  might  suffer  from 
the  casualties  of  the  expected  battle.  Many  gal- 
lant fellows  had  occasion  to  remember,  with  grate- 
ful feelings,  the  thoughtful  kindness  of  Ezra  Cor- 
nell, in  seeking  them  out  and  ministering  to  their 
peculiar  necessities.  The  fatalities  of  the  bat- 
tle-field, however,  were  by  no  means  the  worst 
terrors  which  menaced  the  life  of  the  soldier. 


CARE   OF   THE  SOLDIERS.  l*>\ 

Disease  claims  many  more  victims   than  the  bul- 
let. 

The  hospitals  were  full  of  those  suffering  from 
all  sorts  of  illnesses,  and  when,  added  to  other 
disease,  homesickness  had  taken  possession  of  a 
victim,  his  case  was  desperate  indeed.  Mental 
depression,  added  to  physical  prostration,  was 
almost  sure  to  bring  a  fatal  ending.  Not  a  few 
such  were  found  languishing  for  the  soothing  care 
of  the  loved  ones  at  home,  when  with  patience, 
and  the  most  unselfish  devotion,  Mr.  Cornell 
would  follow  the  wearisome  technicalities  of  the 
military  service  until  he  secured  the  necessary  fur- 
lough or  discharge,  and  then  at  his  own  expense, 
and  under  his  personal  care,  conduct  the  in- 
valids to  homes  and  friends.  Numbers  were  saved 
to  future  usefulness,  and  not  unfrequently  returned 
to  the  service  full  of  renewed  vigor,  who,  but 
for  Mr.  Cornell's  considerate  attention,  would 
have  early  filled  soldiers'  graves.  Until  the  final 
ending  of  the  war,  when  the  rebellion  was  con- 
quered, and  the  authority  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment was  once  more  completely  restored  through- 
out all  of  our  broad  domain,  Mr.  Cornell  was  unre- 
mitting in  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Union, 
in  promoting  enlistments,  and  in  contributing  to 
the  comfortable  maintenance  of  the  soldiers  and 
their  families.  He  was,  in  every  sense  of  the  term, 


152  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  soldier's  friend,  while  to  many  of  them  he  was, 
in  very  truth,  a  "  good  Samaritan." 

The  dependent  families  of  the  patriots  who  sac- 
rificed their  lives  in  the  service  of  their  country, 
were,  to  Mr.  Cornell,  subjects  of  especial  interest 
and  solicitude.  He  felt  that  the  orphaned  chil- 
dren of  the  martyrs  of  the  great  rebellion,  were  a 
sacred  charge  upon  those  for  whose  benefit  their 
natural  protectors  had  perilled  their  lives,  and  he 
was  deeply  interested  in  all  measures  calculated 
to  promote  the  welfare  and  provide  for  the  main- 
tenance, comfort,  and  education  of  all  such,  who 
chanced  to  be  left  without  adequate  provision. 
His  purse  was  ever  open  to,  and  his  best  services 
were  always  at  the  command  of,  these  unfortunates. 
In  whatever  capacity  their  appeal  reached  him, 
whether  as  an  individual,  as  a  member  of  com- 
munity, or  as  an  official  representative  in  the  Leg- 
islature of  the  State,  he  ever  had  a  listening  ear 
and  a  responsive  heart,  and  it  may  safely  be  as- 
serted that  no  meritorious  appeal  of  this  character 
ever  sought  him  in  vain. 

The  gigantic  struggle  for  the  suppression  of  the 
rebellion,  and  the  restoration  of  the  authority  of 
the  Union,  was  brought  to  an  entirely  success- 
ful ending  by  the  complete  collapse  of  the  rebel 
power.  Never  was  a  mistaken  cause  more  obsti- 
nately defended,  nor  a  loyal  cause  more  gallantly 


SUSTAINING   THE   VETERANS.  153 

supported  than  in  the  conflict  thus  finished.  The 
grand  army  of  the  Union  was,  perhaps,  at  the 
very  maximum  of  its  strength,  when  its  usefulness 
was  thus  suddenly  arrested.  Within  a  few  weeks, 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  veterans  of  the  war 
were  mustered  out  of  service,  only  to  meet  each 
other  as  competitors  for  civil  employment. 

Fortunately,  their  return  to  ordinary  pursuits 
happened  at  a  time  of  remarkable  prosperity  in  the 
country,  and  the  labor  of  willing  hands  generally 
found  ready  employment.  Many,  however,  by 
the  effect  of  wounds  or  sickness,  were  rendered 
incapable  of  discharging  duties  with  which  they 
were  previously  familiar.  These  were  especially 
the  wards  of  Mr.  Cornell.  He  provided  many  of 
them  with  artificial  limbs,  and  devoted  much  time 
to  aid  them  in  securing  employment  suited  to  their 
capacities.  Some  were  furnished  with  the  means 
of  educating  themselves  to  new  pursuits,  while 
others  were  provided  with  capital  and  credit  to 
enable  them  to  engage  in  business.  Many  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Union  cause  is  now  in  prosperous 
circumstances  from  the  help  received  from  this 
patriotic  benefactor,  who,  but  for  the  timely  aid 
thus  rendered,  must  inevitably  have  suffered  from 
inability  to  pursue  his  ordinary  vocation.  Mr.  Cor- 
nell was  eminently  practicable  in  his  charities,  as 
in  all  other  characteristics.  He  delighted  to  help 


154  EZRA    CORNELL. 

those  who  would  profit  by  his  aid,  and  it  was  his 
custom  to  so  direct  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  those 
needing  assistance,  that  momentum  might  be  given 
toward  self-support  and  independence.  It  was 
ever  by  him  considered  a  privilege  as  well  as 
a  duty  to  serve,  in  any  possible  manner,  those 
who  served  their  country  in  the  time  of  its  great 
need. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  CORNELL  LIBRARY. 

Generous  Inspirations. — Projecting  a  Free  Public  Library. — Con- 
ference with  Citizens. — Founding  the  Cornell  Library. — Erect- 
ing the  Edifice.— Its  Cost. — Germs  of  the  Library. — Income 
for  its  Support. — Inauguration  Ceremonies. — The  Founder's 
Address. — Formal  Presentation. — Acceptance  of  Trustees  by 
Hon.  Benjamin  G.  Ferris. — Address  of  Hon.  William  H. 
Bogart. — Contribution  of  Books. — Subsequent  Management. 
— Conclusion. 

THE  too  frequent  result  of  extraordinary  success 
in  business,  or  in  the  accumulation  of  fortune, 
seems  to  be  to  create  ambition  for  still  farther 
achievement  in  the  same  direction.  Men  are  sel- 
dom inclined  to  stop  when  they  have  acquired  an 
ample  competence  and  devote  themselves  to  the 
higher  duties  of  life.  They  press  on  and  not  un- 
frequently  make  themselves  the  slaves  of  their 
gigantic  operations,  wearing  out  their  lives  in  use- 
less toil  and  care.  To  this  general  rule  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  certainly  an  exception. 

In  the  pursuit  of  fortune  no  man  could  have  de- 
voted himself  more  assiduously  than  Mr.  Cornell 
did  to  the  success  of  his  telegraph  ventures.  For 


1$6  EZRA    CORNELL. 

ten  years  his  labors  were  incessant,  and  the 
tasks  he  accomplished  would  have  completely 
discouraged  a  less  resolute  man.  Often  he  would 
spend  every  night  of  a  week  in  travelling  and  oc- 
cupy the  intervening  days  in  the  transaction  of 
business  which  constantly  demanded  his  attention 
in  widely  separated  localities.  When  success  was 
fairly  reached,  he  retired  from  active  participation 
in  business  and  devoted  himself  to  the  more  agree- 
able duties  of  agricultural  experiment  and  study. 
This  gave  him  leisure  to  take  suitable  observation 
of  surrounding  circumstances.  Ithaca  had  been  his 
residence  during  all  of  his  years  of  manhood,  and 
though  called  from  it  much  of  the  time  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  he  always  returned  to  the  home  of 
his  choice  with  feelings  of  gladness. 

Thus  at  the  age  of  fifty  he  found  himself  inde- 
pendent of  further  labor,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  liberal  income.  He  was  inspired  with  an  am- 
bition to  do  something  to  adorn  and  improve  the 
village,  and  at  the  same  time  to  benefit  the  rising 
generation,  and  encourage  them  to  endeavors  for 
higher  mental  cultivation.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
recollection  of  the  meagre  facilities  for  educa- 
tion, which  were  within  reach  in  his  younger 
days,  had  something  to  do  with  the  particular 
direction  of  his  benefaction.  The  impediments 
which  he  had  encountered  at  different  times  in 


FOUNDING  A  LIBRARY.  157 

trying  to  utilize  for  his  own  purposes  the  facilities 
of  some  of  the  great  Libraries  in  leading  cities 
made  him  desire  to  see  such  an  institution  free 
from  the  restraints  he  had  met  with.  He  there- 
fore resolved  to  establish  at  Ithaca,  a  Public  Li- 
brary which  should  be  free  for  the  use  of  every 
resident  of  the  County  of  Tompkins. 

Having  become  fixed  in  this  purpose,  Mr.  Cor- 
nell took  occasion  to  call  into  his  confidence  a  few 
leading  citizens,  with  a  view  of  perfecting  suitable 
plans  and  arranging  such  an  organization  as  would 
insure  the  most  careful  attention  in  the  future 
administration  of  the  trust.  The  gentlemen  who 
were  invited  to  the  conference  entered  cordially 
into  the  merits  of  the  proposed  institution,  giving 
much  useful  assistance  in  the  initiatory  work,  and 
have  continued,  through  the  many  intervening 
years,  to  render  valuable  service  in  the  direction 
of  the  Library. 

It  was,  in  the  first  place,  Mr.  Cornell's  idea  to 
devote  $20,000  to  the  erection  of  a  Librar)/  build- 
ing, and  $30,000  for  books.  Further  considera- 
tion, however,  convinced  him  that  the  institution 
should  be  possessed  of  means  of  self-support,  and 
under  the  advice  of  the  associated  citizens,  he 
finally  concluded  to  erect  a  building,  which  should 
contain  apartments  for  rent  sufficient  to  produce 
the  desired  income,  and  leave  the  books  to  be 


158  EZRA    CORNELL. 

provided  by  gradual  accumulation.  He  then  pur- 
chased an  eligible  site  on  a  prominent  corner  ad- 
jacent to  the  business  centre  of  the  village,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1863  began  the  erection  of  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Cornell  Library. 

The  edifice  is  of  brick,  64  by  104  feet  in  size ; 
three  stories  and  basement ;  containing,  besides 
the  library  fitted  to  receive  thirty  thousand  vol- 
umes, a  fine  lecture  hall,  50  by  60  feet,  with  gallery, 
and  several  apartments  for  business  purposes,  de- 
signed to  furnish  an  income  for  the  care  and  main- 
tenance of  the  Library,  which  it  was  estimated 
would  amount  to  at  least  $3,000  per  annum.  The 
cost  of  the  site  and  building  was  $61,676,  besides 
$4,000  for  books,  all  paid  for  by  Mr.  Cornell, 
conveyed  by  trust  deed  to  the  trustees  of  the 
Cornell  Library  Association,  and  delivered  to 
them  in  the  presence  of  a  crowded  meeting  of 
citizens  of  Ithaca  and  vicinity,  assembled  in  the 
Library  Hall  on  the  evening  of  the  twentieth  of 
December,  1866.  During  the  day  the  building 
had  been  decorated  with  flags  by  appreciative  citi- 
zens, and  the  lecture  room  was  tastefully  trimmed, 
with  the  name  of  the  founder  wrought  in  ever- 
greens. The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  but  at  an 
early  hour  every  available  portion  of  the  hall  was 
crowded,  while  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  exul- 
tant ringing  of  the  village  bells  gave  voice  to  the 


PRESENTA  TION.  1 59 

general  appreciation  of  the  generous  gift  to  the 
public. 

In  his  address  of  presentation  Mr.  Cornell 
said : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  have  invited  you  to  assemble  this 
evening  to  witness  the  consummation  of  a  long-cherished  purpose 
— the  establishment  of  a  Public  Library  in  the  village  of  Ithaca, 
"  the  use  of  which  shall  be  free  to  all  residents  of  the  County  of 
Tompkins,"  an  institution  which  I  trust  will  be  found  useful  in 
increasing  the  knowledge  and  elevating  the  moral  and  religious 
standard  of  the  people.  It  may  not  be  deemed  improper  on  an 
occasion  like  this  to  refer  briefly  to  the  history  of  the  progress  of  the 
undertaking  ;  the  motives  which  prompted  it,  controlled  the  plans 
of  the  edifice,  and  fashioned  the  organization  to  which  the  trust 
and  management  of  the  property  will  now  be  committed. 

The  conception  of  the  undertaking  may  be  traced  to  a  settled 
conviction  in  my  mind  of  the  unwise  policy,  so  prevalent  in  men 
of  large  means,  of  deferring  until  death  their  benevolent  plans, 
and  committing  them,  by  their  last  will  and  testament,  to  the  exe- 
cution of  unwilling  heirs,  indifferent  executors  or  administrators,  or 
selfish  trustees. 

The  results  of  the  noble  and  wise  example  of  Peter  Cooper, 
as  contrasted  with  the  equally  well-meaning  but  less  successful 
example  of  Stephen  Girard,  led  me  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  former, 
and  to  adopt  a  policy  which  might  be  executed,  in  part  at  least, 
during  my  lifetime,  thus  giving  me  the  opportunity  of  aiding  in 
the  execution  of  my  plans,  and  enjoying  the  benefits  while  living 
which  may  flow  from  them. 

After  giving  a  detailed  description  of  the  edi- 
fice, the  uses  for  which  the  several  apartments 
were  designed,  and  the  particulars  relating  to  the 
progress  of  its  erection,  he  said  : 


160  EZRA    CORNELL. 

The  sums  which  have  been  collected  for  rents  up  to  the  present 
time  amount  to  $1,965,  and  there  will  have  accrued  by  the  coming 
first  of  January  the  further  sum  of  $534.  These  sums  have  been 
held  as  the  property  of  the  Library  Association,  and  payments  for 
maintenance  to  the  amount  of  about  $1,500  have  been  made  from 
them,  leaving  about  $r,ooo  in  the  treasury  of  the  Library  at  the 
commencement  of  the  new  year,  and  may  no  future  New  Year's 
day  find  here  an  empty  treasury. 

Fellow  citizens  of  Ithaca  :  This  property  belongs  to  you  and  to 
the  other  citizens  of  the  County  of  Tompkins.  The  Board  of  Trus- 
tees to  whom  I  am  about  to  commit  the  trust  and  management  of 
this  property  are  your  agents,  and  it  is  their  duty  to  manage  the 
property  within  the  limitations  fixed  by  law,  so  as  to  give  all  the 
residents  of  the  County  of  Tompkins  equal  privileges  and  oppor- 
tunities in  the  use  and  benefits  to  be  derived  from  this  Library. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  it  was  my  aim 
to  secure  a  full  and  fair  representation  of  the  various  interests  in 
the  county  as  far  as  it  was  practicable.  The  pastors  of  seven  of 
your  churches,  the  principal  of  the  Academy,  and  of  the  public 
school,  the  chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  the 
President  of  the  village  of  Ithaca,  and  the  Chief  Engineer  of 
the  Ithaca  Fire  Department  are  ex-officio  trustees,  to  which  are 
added' the  names  of  the  founder  and  six  citizens,  constituting  a 
board  of  nineteen  members,  and  representing,  as  fully  as  practi- 
cable, all  classes  and  interests. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  :  Having  thus  briefly 
related  the  history  and  stated  the  present  condition  of  the  prop- 
erty I  am  about  to  commit  to  your  charge,  it  is  perhaps  my  duty, 
and  I  can  assure  you  it  is  a  very  pleasant  duty,  to  address  a  few 
words  to  you. 

By  the  Act,  chapter  126,  of  the  laws  of  1864  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  you  and  your  successors  in  office  are  created  and  con- 
stituted a  body  corporate  by  the  name  and  title  of  the  "  Cornell 
Library  Association,"  '*  the  corporate  existence  of  which  shall  com- 
mence when  the  said  Ezra  Cornell  shall  convey  to  it  the  lot  of  land 
and  edifice  hereinbefore  mentioned,  and  shall  continue  forever." 


ACCEPTANCE.  l6l 

The  act  on  my  part  which  is  required,  under  the  law,  to  give 
you  official  and  legal  existence  as  a  corporation,  I  am  now  about 
to  perform.  For  full  instruction  as  to  your  powers  and  duties 
under  the  trust  you  are  about  to  assume,  I  must  refer  you  to  the 
above-cited  Act  and  the  statutes  of  this  State. 

In  closing,  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  I  must  express  the 
hope  that  your  administration  of  this  trust  will  be  so  impartial,  so 
wise,  and  so  just  that  a  truthful  history  of  it,  which  should  at  all 
times  be  found  on  your  records,  will  stand  as  a  lasting  monument 
to  your  honor  through  all  time. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  now  present  to  you  the  deed  of  the  property 
and  the  keys  of  the  edifice,  and  may  God  bless  the  enterprise  and 
make  it  fruitful  to  this  people  in 

KNOWLEDGE,  TRUTH,  AND  VIRTUE. 

On  receiving  from  Mr.  Cornell  the  trust  deed 
and  the  keys  of  the  Library  building,  the  Hon. 
Benjamin  G.  Ferris,  who  had  been  designated  by 
his  colleagues  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  made 
the  following  response  in  their  name. 

ADDRESS  OF  THE  HON.  BENJAMIN  G.  FERRIS. 

I  feel  profound  gratification  in  receiving  from  your  hand  this 
deed  and  these  keys.  By  this  conveyance  and  these  symbols  of 
possession  we  become  a  body  corporate,  fully  organized  to  carry 
out  your  views,  as  the  donor,  and  discharge  our  duties  to  the  pub- 
lic, who  are  the  recipients  of  your  bounty. 

To  simply  say  we  thank  you  would  too  coldly  express  the  emotions 
which  the  occasion  naturally  calls  forth.  When  a  private  citizen  like 
yourself  steps  out  of  the  ordinary  round  of  self-interest,  within 
which  men  usually  regard  and  regulate  their  private  fortunes,  and 
with  a  lavish  hand  confers  great  benefits  on  the  public,  language 
becomes  too  feeble  to  express  the  gratitude  which  is  felt  and 
which  becomes  due. 


1 62  EZRA    CORNELL. 

I  know,  in  speaking  of  these  things,  it  is  not  easy  to  confine 
one's  self  within  the  limits  of  good  taste.  We  are  apt  to  run  into 
the  common  phrases  of  laudation  and  flattery.  But  at  least  we 
may  be  permitted  to  hold  up  such  a  case  as  an  example  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  others.  Our  country  is  now  full  of  great  fortunes,  but 
how  many  counties  like  Tompkins,  how  many  towns  like  Ithaca 
contain  the  visible  evidences  of  private  munificence  for  public  uses  ? 
There  is  many  a  man  who  has  a  large  surplus  beyond  the  neces- 
sities and  luxuries  of  living,  beyond  the  display  of  a  costly  resi- 
dence, beyond  the  full  gratification  of  a  taste  for  fine  arts,  beyond 
the  establishment  of  his  family  from  the  contingencies  of  want. 
What  becomes  of  this  surplus  ?  Is  it  heaped  up  like  Pelion  upon 
Ossa,  as  men  know  how  to  heap  up  money,  for  the  mere  purposes 
of  accumulation  ?  We  have,  on  an  occasion  like  this,  the  right 
to  point  to  this  Library,  to  point  to  the  magnificent  structure  rear- 
ing on  yonder  eminence  and  say,  "  Go  AND  DO  LIKEWISE!  " 

You,  sir,  will  be  neither  surprised  nor  pained  to  learn  that 
your  motives  in  making  large  public  donations  have  been  pretty 
freely  canvassed.  Some  people  have  distressed  themselves  over 
the  vexed  questions  as  to  whether  you  are  influenced  by  an  eye  to 
future  fame,  or  whether  you  are  trying  to  undermine  the  institu- 
tions of  your  country,  by  building  up  an  aristocracy  in  your  family, 
or  whether,  as  those  who  know  you  best  believe,  you  really  pos- 
sess a  heart  which  delights  to  promote  the  welfare  and  happiness 
of  mankind. 

We  have  no  trouble  on  those  points.  We  accept  the  gift ;  we 
take  upon  ourselves  this  trust  ;  and  from  this  moment  the  COR- 
NELL LIBRARY  becomes  an  established  institution. 

Yet  I  can  scarcely  realize  that  a  large  Free  Public  Library, 
one  which  stands  up  among  the  great  public  libraries  of  the  world, 
is  really  founded  in  Ithaca.  In  less  than  the  threescore  and  ten 
years  allotted  to  a  single  life,  savages  roamed  at  will  through  this 
pleasant  valley,  and  an  Indian  wigwam  may  well  have  occupied 
the  very  spot  on  which  this  building  now  stands,  and  in  which  are 
assembled  the  beauty,  fashion,  and  intelligence  of  an  advanced 
stage  of  civilization,  to  participate  in  this  inauguration.  But  his- 


ANCIENT  LIBRARIES.  163 

tory  is  full  of  contrasts,  and  when  we  reverse  the  historical  tele- 
scope, and  look  back  into  remote  ages,  we  shall  see  how  small 
and  feeble  were  the  beginnings  of  the  efforts  of  mankind  for  men- 
tal culture.  Statesmen  of  all  ages  have  realized  the  necessity  of 
storing  up  the  written  thoughts  of  the  wise  and  good  for  public 
benefit  ;  and  this  really  marks  the  distinction  between  civilized 
and  savage  life.  Barbarians  pass  along  from  one  generation  to 
another,  with  no  change  except  that  which  too  often  indicates  a 
lower  scale  of  human  degradation.  The  wigwams  which  here 
and  there  dotted  the  valley  of  the  Cayuga,  were  the  exact  counter- 
parts of  the  wigwams  which  had  been  built  here  for  a  thousand 
years  anterior.  The  Feejee  Islander,  who  now  feeds  upon  human 
flesh,  but  follows  the  custom  of  his  ancestors  for  generations  past. 
But  civilization  builds  step  by  step  upon  the  thoughts  and  inven- 
tions of  each  age,  until  the  vast  monuments  of  modern  improve- 
ment leave  us  to  wonder  if  there  can  be  anything  more  to  discover. 
In  the  dim  light  of  the  past,  Egypt  seems  to  have  been  the 
cradle  of  the  arts  and  sciences.  One  of  its  sovereigns,  Osyman- 
dias,  is  said  to  have  founded  the  first  public  library  known  to  his- 
tory. The  motto  on  the  building  was  "  The  Dispensary  of  the 
Soul."  The  sculpture  upon  the  walls  represented  a  Judge  with 
the  image  of  Truth  suspended  from  his  neck,  and  many  books  or 
rolls  lying  before  him.  The  contents  of  the  library  were  the 
sacred  writings  of  the  Egyptians  in  manuscript,  written  upon 
sheets  prepared  from  the  papyrus,  a  reed  growing  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  from  which  our  word  paper  is  derived.  The  length  of 
these  sheets  was  from  one  to  fifty  yards,  according  to  the  magnitude 
of  the  works.  The  manuscript,  when  complete,  was  rolled  on  a  staff, 
and  from  this  called  "  volumen,"  the  source  of  our  word  volume. 
The  ends  of  the  staff  were  usually  ornamented  with  bosses  of  wood 
or  ivory,  and  sometimes  with  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones. 
At  an  earlier  period,  stones  and  metallic  substances  were  used 
for  writing.  The  Ten  Commandments,  we  know,  were  inscribed 
on  tablets  of  stone.  Joseph  speaks  of  two  columns,  one  of  stone, 
and  the  other  of  brick,  on  which  the  children  of  Seth  wrote  their 
inventions  and  astronomical  discoveries.  The  works  of  Hesiod 


1 64  EZRA    CORNELL. 

were  written  on  tablets  of  lead.  Mr.  Layard  has  exhumed  from 
the  ruins  of  Nineveh  writings  upon  earthen  tablets,  to  the  num- 
ber of  about  twenty  thousand,  constituting,  as  is  supposed,  the 
Royal  Library.  The  Library  of  Alexandria,  founded  by  one  of 
the  Ptolemean  kings,  was  undoubtedly  the  largest  of  antiquity, 
and  is  said  to  have  consisted  at  one  time  of  seven  hundred  thou- 
sand rolled  manuscripts,  the  ends  protruding  from  the  pigeon- 
holes, if,  indeed,  pigeon-holes  were  of  that  date. 

There  were  booksellers,  also,  in  Egypt,  and  subsequently  in 
Greece  and  Rome,  of  whom  the  book  sought  to  be  purchased 
was  ordered,  as  we  now  go  to  the  tailor  and  order  a  coat,  and  the 
book  was  furnished  as  soon  as  it  could  be  copied  from  an  original. 
What  a  change !  Think  now  of  going  to  one  of  our  bookstores 
and  ordering  a  copy  of  Shakespeare,  to  be  delivered  in  three 
months.  At  present  prices,  it  would  cost  enough  to  pay  the  ex- 
pense of  the  Cornell  Library  for  well  nigh  a  year. 

All  the  great  libraries  of  the  old  world  commenced  in  a  small 
way.  The  now  mammoth  library  of  Paris  commenced  with  only 
twenty  volumes.  That  of  the  University  of  Oxford  had  at  first  only 
six  hundred  volumes,  and  one  of  its  regulations  was  :  "  Let  no 
scholar  occupy  a  book  of  the  Library  above  one  hour,  or  two  at 
most,  so  that  others  may  be  hindered  from  the  use  of  the  same." 
During  this  period  books  were  so  scarce  that  the  sale  of  one  was 
attended  with  more  formalities  than  are  now  observed  in  transfer- 
ring the  title  of  a  thousand  acres  of  land.  This  Institution,  how- 
ever, thanks  to  your  princely  munificence,  springs  suddenly  into 
complete  life,  the  full  panoplied  Minerva  from  the  brain  of  Jupi- 
ter, with  its  organization  and  ample  endowment  for  its  career  of 
usefulness. 

Each  age  of  the  world  fancies  itself  at  the  limit  of  improve- 
ment The  twenty  thousand  tablets  of  old  Nineveh  formed,  it  was 
thought,  a  perfect  library.  So,  too,  thought  the  Ptolemies,  when 
proudly  viewing  the  ends  of  the  sticks  on  which  were  rolled  their 
countless  manuscripts.  It  was  related  of  Hercules  that  he  made 
a  great  voyage  of  discovery.  He  skirted  along  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean  in  a  row-boat,  suffering  almost  as  much  danger 


PROGRESS.  165 

from  shipwreck  as  Sir  John  Franklin  among  the  hummocks  of  the 
Polar  regions.  When  he  reached  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  as  the 
story  goes,  he  erected  a  pillar  on  either  side  of  the  strait,  on 
which  he  inscribed  the  words  : 

"  NE  PLUS  ULTRA." 

(There  is  no  more  beyond.)  That  to  him  and  those  of  his  time 
was  the  end  of  the  world ;  beyond  was  an  illimitable  waste  of 
waters.  But  beyond  this,  in  time  and  space,  lay  marvelous  things. 
Beyond  was  the  mariner's  compass  in  the  hands  of  Columbus,  and 
at  the  end  of  his  voyage  lay  a  mighty  continent ;  beyond  was  the 
genius  of  Fulton  and  steam  navigation  with  voyages  around  the 
world,  performed  with  more  safety  than  Hercules  in  rowing  his 
craft  half  a  dozen  miles  ;  beyond  was  the  printing-press,  an  en- 
gine more  powerful  than  the  sword  ;  beyond,  too,  was  the  electric 
telegraph,  by  which  Jupiter's  thunderbolts  have  been  changed  into 
news-carriers,  and  we  can  hear  from  Mount  Olympus  in  less  time 
than  Puck,  in  the  play,  proposed  to  put  a  girdle  round  the  earth. 

We,  too,  after  these  achievements,  think  we  have  got  to  the  ter- 
minus. But  we  are  grandly  mistaken  ;  we  are  not  yet  at  the  half- 
way house.  This  is  a  material  world,  the  world  of  effects  upon 
which  the  inner  world,  the  world  of  causes,  is  continually  pressing 
further  developments  of  the  power  of  mind  and  matter.  And  the 
names  of  the  men  who  have  the  power  and  the  will  to  obey  the  sa- 
cred impulse  will  be  found  written  with  yours  in  the  pages  of  his- 
tory. 

The  formal  address  of  dedication,  which  was 
next  delivered,  was  listened  to  with  deep  and  ap- 
preciative attention  by  the  great  audience.  This 
admirable  feature  of  the  occasion  is  given  in  full 
in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

The  Hon.  William  H.  Bogart,  of  Aurora,  who 
had  been  a  citizen  of  Ithaca,  and  an  intimate 


166  EZRA    CORNELL. 

personal  friend  of  Mr.  Cornell  during  the  earlier 
years  of  his  residence  there,  was  next  introduced, 
and  spoke  as  follows : 

ADDRESS  OF  HON.  WILLIAM  H.  BOGART. 

Mr.  President :  There  is  an  adnge  in  which  the  few  words  con- 
vey wisdom  it  is  well  to  heed  :  "  Speech  is  silver  and  Silence  is 
golden."  A  voice  that  has  so  often  been  heard  by  you  as  mine 
has  been,  may  wisely  think  of  this  before  the  golden  bowl  is 
broken.  It  was  a  pleasant  duty  to  comply  with  the  invitation 
which  Mr.  Cornell  sent  to  me  to  come  here  to-night  to  take  part  in 
the  dedication  of  the  Library.  My  journey  hither  was  amid  the 
terrible  cold  of  this  day,  but  I  found,  as  I  came  by  the  shore 
of  our  broad  and  pure  Cayuga,  a  picture  all  around  me.  I  was 
coming  to  a  library.  Everywhere  the  library  of  nature  was  un- 
folded to  me,  as  if  recognizing  that  it  had  its  own  part  to  do  in 
all  the  teaching  of  the  soul.  While  elsewhere  the  sky  was 
cloudless,  the  great  chemistry  of  nature  was  busy,  and  the  lake 
was  pouring  upward  massive  clouds  of  vapor,  that  indicated  its 
own  warmth  and  the  cold  air  that  was  around  it.  This  uttered 
the  lesson  that  we  darken  our  own  horizon.  Our  clouds  are  born 
of  ourselves.  The  snow  was  of  such  whiteness  it  seemed  the  very 
image  of  purity.  I  knew  this  could  endure  only  till  it  felt  the 
footsteps  of  man.  It  was  renewing  the  story  of  Eden.  The  trees, 
erect  and  gaunt  and  leafless,  had  prepared  themselves  thus  to 
meet  the  tempests  of  winter,  and  voices  came  thence  to  bid  us,  in 
the  chances  and  changes  of  this  mortal  time,  to  lay  aside  every 
weight  and  keep  no  hindrance  to  our  strength.  The  chill  and 
pain  of  the  journey  had  their  recompense. 

Perhaps  it  was  appropriate  that  I  should  take  part  in  the  ser- 
vice of  dedication.  Of  all  around  me  on  this  platform,  only  the 
gentleman  [Mr.  Ferris]  who  has  with  such  worthy  and  appropriate 
remarks  accepted  on  behalf  of  the  trustees  this  gift,  only  himself 
and  myself  were  of  the  associates  of  the  generous  giver  of  this 
Library  in  the  days  when  his  task  in  life  had,  it  may  be,  in  it  more  of 


GOOD  RESOLUTIONS.  1 67 

the  shadow  than  the  sun,  when  he  was  vigorously  engaged  in  his 
calling  of  industry,  perhaps  even  then  creating  in  his  own  mind 
the  hope,  the  wish,  the  plan,  that  when  more  genial  and  more 
prosperous  influences  should  be  about  him,  he  would  leave,  with 
his  fellowmen,  good  evidence  that  he  had  sought  to  make  them 
happier  ;  perhaps  even  then  with  some  glimpse  of  the  possibility 
of  that  control  of  the  electric  fluid  which  has  been  developed  by 
the  labors  of  himself  and  his  associates  into  the  very  chief  of  all 
the  agencies  of  power  permitted  to  the  custody  of  man.  So  it 
was  fitting  that  I  should  be  here  to  share  the  luxury  of  witnessing 
his  reward — I  do  not  say  his  triumph,  his  victory — these  words 
belong  to  the  false  state  of  action  formed  out  of  the  sorrows  of  the 
fallen. 

As  I  came  to  this  beautiful  hall  this  evening  I  heard  in  the 
crystal  air  the  bells  ring  out  their  clear  tones,  and  the  loud  can- 
non in  their  deeper  voice.  I  doubt  not  that  as  the  sounds  struck 
the  hillside  and  the  far  valley,  men  rushed  from  their  hearths  to 
gather  tidings  of  the  cause  of  this  wild  alarm,  as  to  them  it  seemed, 
and  I  can  imagine  with  what  proud  look  each  Ithacan  met  the  in- 
quiry— "  The  Illumination  ?  "  Yes,  of  the  mind.  "  The  Fire  ?" 
Yes,  that  shall  burn  up  Ignorance.  It  is  kindled  to-night. 

But  not  alone  in  voice  of  bell,  and  cannon,  and  exultation  is 
his  reward.  Your  presence  thus  crowding  this  hall  tells  him  that 
his  gift  is  appreciated  by  a  people  who  will  remember  the  giver. 
Beyond  all  this,  I  have  heard  the  ministers  of  religion  this  night 
invoking  on  him  the  blessing  which  endures  when  knowledge  itself 
"  shall  vanish  away."  It  is  so  gratifying  to  me  to-night  to  see 
that  which  is  so  seldom  seen,  a  work  accomplished.  If  the  cur- 
tain should  fall  to-night,  it  falls  on  a  good,  no  longer  a  promised 
or  an  expected  good,  but  one  realized.  It  is  something  in  a  life 
such  as  ours  is  when  the  light  of  to-day  but  feebly  interprets  the 
darkness  of  the  morrow  ;  it  is  something  to  know  that  a  good  is 
done.  Henceforth,  when  the  State  of  New  York  shall  call  over  its 
roll  of  men  who  have  done  the  State  service  by  increasing  the 
happiness  of  the  people,  it  must  speak  the  name  of  Ezra  Cornell  ! 
Sometimes  our  good  deeds  are  resolved  upon  ;  often  they  do  not 


1 68  EZRA    CORNELL. 

get  beyond  an  easy  imagination,  where  the  beautiful  only  is  seen, 
and  the  stern,  real  gate  of  trial  is  avoided.  Sometimes  a  good 
deed  is  only  planned  out.  How  often  it  is  like  our  human  nature 
in  its  infancy  only,  and  never  reaches  the  strength  of  manhood. 
How  full  the  satisfaction,  then,  when  a  purpose  of  good  has  passed 
through  all  alternations  of  hope  and  fear,  and  is  fully,  gladly,  joy- 
ously before  us,  at  our  side,  an  accomplished  reality,  a  bestowed 
blessing. 

Proceeding  at  some  length  to  dilate  upon  the 
advantages  to  follow  the  establishment  of  such  an 
institution,  Mr.  Bogart  closed  his  eloquent  remarks 
as  follows : 

Mr.  President,  Mr.  Cornell  has  achieved  his  high  purpose. 
Henceforth  this  Library  is  for  the  public  use.  Ithaca  from  this 
hour  rises  in  value.  Her  lands  and  tenements  and  hereditaments 
count  greater  value.  I  think  I  predict  only  what  calm  and  cool  fact 
shall  confirm,  that  they  who  seek  for  a  genial  home  will  be  guided 
hither  by  the  light  of  this  Library,  and  you  will  find  following  all 
that  belongs  to  Order,  and  Refinement,  and  Wisdom. 

The  exercises  of  the  evening  were  finished  with 
great  enthusiasm  by  the  adoption  of  a  resolution 
that  each  member  of  the  vast  audience  present 
should,  in  the  coming  holiday  week,  contribute 
one  or  more  books  to  the  Library  as  a  Christ- 
mas gift.  This  action  resulted  in  the  presentation 
of  a  large  number  of  valuable  works,  and  in  that 
manner  made  many  persons  feel  a  more  direct 
individual  interest  in  the  Library  than  they  would 
otherwise  have  experienced. 


CONTINUED  GROWTH.  169 

This  noble  benefaction  was  accepted  by  the 
citizens  of  Tompkins  County  with  a  gratifying 
appreciation  of  the  generous  impulse  which 
prompted  the  founder  in  designing  and  presenting 
it  for  their  use.  Unfortunately,  however,  for  the 
rapid  increase  of  the  facilities  of  the  Cornell  Li- 
brary, it  was  speedily  eclipsed  by  the  act  of  its 
founder  in  the  endowment  and  organization  of 
the  Cornell  University,  and  has  ever  since  been 
over-shadowed  by  the  brilliant  success  of  the 
greater  institution.  But  for  the  establishment  of 
the  University  in  such  immediate  proximity,  the 
Library  would,  no  doubt,  have  achieved  far 
greater  development  than  it  has  thus  far  expe- 
rienced. Its  growth,  however,  if  slow,  has  been 
substantial  in  character,  and  it  has  already  attained 
a  collection  of  about  fifteen  thousand  volumes,  in- 
cluding many  extremely  valuable  works  of  refer- 
ence. Its  management  has  been  prudent  in  all 
things,  and  its  financial  condition  has  been  ma- 
terially strengthened  in  each  year  of  its  existence. 

The  Library  has  been  extensively  patronized 
by  citizens,  as  well  as  by  the  students  of  the  Uni- 
versity, who  have  shown  a  grateful  appreciation 
of  the  facilities  thus  furnished  them.  Strangers 
visiting  Ithaca  inspect  the  Library  with  great  in- 
terest, and  are  profuse  in  their  expressions  of  ad- 
miration for  the  literary  advantages  with  which 


1 70  EZRA    CO  KNELL, 

the  residents  of  the  locality  have  been  so  gener- 
ously provided.  The  superb  educational  facilities 
established  by  the  munificence  of  Mr.  Cornell,  at 
Ithaca,  have  given  the  town  an  enviable  repute 
throughout  the  country,  and  have  attracted  there 
many  desirable  residents,  and  a  constant  proces- 
sion of  visitors.  From  the  stimulus  thus  given  the 
village  has  more  than  doubled  in  population,  and 
grown  to  be  a  large  and  prosperous  town,  now 
rapidly  developing  as  a  manufacturing  centre  of 
no  insignificant  importance. 

The  Cornell  Library  was  projected  and  estab- 
lished by  Mr.  Cornell  as  an  evidence  of  his  grati- 
tude to  the  kind  Providence  which  had  vouchsafed 
to  him  the  great  measure  of  success  that  had  at- 
tended his  onerous  labors  in  the  telegraph  enter- 
prise. At  the  time  when  he  undertook  this  ben- 
eficent work,  he  estimated  himself  to  be  worth 
about  half  a  million  dollars,  but  the  appreciation 
of  his  telegraph  interests  followed  so  rapidly  that 
before  he  had  completed  the  Library  building,  he 
found  himself  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  annual  in- 
come of  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  value  of  his  estate  more  than  doubled. 

Prosperity  came  to  him  in  such  abundance,  and 
he  had  so  greatly  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  this  gen- 
erous action,  that  his  ambition  was  aroused  to 
build  a  still  greater  monument,  in  recognition  of 


GRATITUDE.  17 1 

the  Divine  favor  which  had  fallen  upon  him.  It 
was  just  at  this  time  that  his  attention  was  called 
to  the  failure  of  the  Agricultural  College,  from 
lack  of  adequate  endowment  for  its  support  and 
development.  Heartily  sympathizing  with  the 
project  of  establishing  an  educational  institution 
which  should  afford  facilities  for  instruction  in  sci- 
ences relating  to  agriculture  and  the  mechanical 
arts,  he  determined  to  devote  a  portion  of  his 
then  ample  fortune  to  the  accomplishment  of  this 
worthy  purpose.  It  was  the  conjunction  of  these 
circumstances  which  culminated  in  the  endow- 
ment and  organization  of  the  Cornell  University. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ADDRESS  OF  DEDICATION.— CORNELL  LIBRARY. 

Appreciative  Co-operation. — Address  of  Dedication  by  Hon.  Fran- 
cis Miles  Finch. — An  Eloquent  and  Impressive  Discourse. — 
Educational  Influence  of  Libraries. — Duty  of  Grateful  Ap- 
preciation.— Useful  Lessons. — Neglected  Opportunities. — Un- 
healthy Excitement. 

FOREMOST  among  the  citizens  of  Ithaca  in  evinc- 
ing cordial  and  loyal  appreciation  of  the  good 
work  so  generously  tendered,  was  one  who  from 
the  beginning  was  zealous  in  endeavor  to  aid  in 
promoting  it ;  whose  rich  culture  and  valuable  but 
unobtrusive  services  were  freely  rendered  to  the 
founder  of  the  Library  in  carrying  out  his  admir- 
able purpose.  This  was  the  HON.  FRANCIS  MILES 
FINCH,  now  a  distinguished  Judge  of  the  Court 
of  Appeals  of  the  State  of  New  York,  whose  em- 
inent abilities,  great  learning,  and  high  character 
contribute  much  to  elevate  and  strengthen  that 
august  tribunal.  For  many  years  he  gave  cheer- 
ful and  valuable  assistance  to  the  organization 
and  management  both  of  the  Cornell  Library, 
and  University.  With  manifest  propriety,  this 


DEDICATION.  1/3 

estimable  co-laborer  in  all  of  the  munificent  pro- 
jects of  Mr.  Cornell,  had  been  designated  to 
pronounce  the  address  of  dedication  on  the  oc- 
casion of  the  inaugural  ceremonies  of  the  Cornell 
Library.  This  extremely  interesting  production 
is  here  inserted,  despite  its  considerable  length, 
not  only  as  an  appropriate  element  of  this  record, 
but  also  as  a  grateful  tribute  to  the  faithful,  ap- 
preciative, and  confidential  friend  of  the  founder. 

DEDICATION  ADDRESS. 
BY  HON.  FRANCIS  M.  FINCH. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  :  When  the  dream  of  a  lifetime  has 
been  suddenly  realized,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  it  is  not  a 
dream.  Especially  when  this  is  effected  by  some  unusual  agency, 
whose  creative  force  and  energy  operated  with  a  power  and  cer- 
tainty akin  almost  to  enchantment,  it  is  hard  to  grasp  and  master 
the  wide  range  of  results. 

We  who  are  assembled  here  in  this  completed  and  perfected 
edifice,  containing  within  itself  the  elements  of  its  own  support 
and  the  power  of  independent  action,  free  from  the  domination  of 
the  partisan,  either  in  politics  or  in  religion,  with  the  rich  columns 
and  still  alcoves,  and  waiting  shelves  of  a  library,  where  already 
rest  the  germs  of  a  broad  and  liberal  culture,  and  many  rare 
triumphs  of  art  and  of  literature,  whose  doors  are  open,  whose  priv- 
ileges are  promised,  whose  encouraging  care  belongs  to  all  alike — 
to  the  child  of  want  and  weary  poverty  as  well  as  him  whose  head 
is  sheltered  from  the  chill  of  every  wind  ;  we,  who  are  gathered 
here,  amid  nil  these  results  of  one  clear  brain,  one  generous  heart, 
one  lavish  hand,  can  hardly  estimate  the  value  and  grandeur  of 
the  gift.  The  receding  waves  of  influence  spread  their  widening 
circles  to  such  distant  shores  that  none  can  measure  the  endless 


1/4  EZRA    CORNELL. 

arc  or  tell  the  radius  of  the  departing  curve.  A  good  deed  clone 
to-day  repeats  itself  in  the  tireless  repetitions  of  the  years.  A  life 
of  good  deeds  grows  more  beautiful  as  it  ncars  its  close,  as  the 
autumn  woods  gather  a  mellow  splendor  that  does  not  belong  to 
the  brilliance  of  their  June  ;  and  far  along  the  summers  that  gar- 
land, and  the  winters  that  whiten,  this  changing  world,  that  life, 
though  ended,  will  still  repeat  its  work,  and  nearer  with  the  chime 
of  every  advancing  hour,  will  approach  the  completion  of  its 
aims. 

One  such  deed  of  broad  beneficence  begins  its  mission  to-day. 
For  the  gift  we  receive  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  not  to  be  paid 
by  words.  The  world  is  full  of  hollow  thanks  ;  the  forms  of  po- 
liteness flash  like  crystals,  and  are  as  cold  ;  only  as  the  warmth  of 
grateful  words  is  fed  by  the  fire  of  grateful  deeds  are  they  worthy 
the  giver  or  the  gift.  I  do  not,  therefore,  indulge  in  the  flattering 
phrases  of  eulogy.  The  coinage  is  too  cheap  and  easy.  The  pale 
dull  notes  that  fluttered  in  the  streets  of  burning  Richmond  were 
not  more  plenty  nor  more  worthless.  There  is  a  way,  however, 
to  lift  the  load  of  obligation  this  day  imposed,  to  pour  back  upon 
the  heart  that  has  made  us  rich  the  wealth  of  cheerful  gratitude, 
to  make  the  memory  of  our  gift  a  daily  happiness  to  the  giver, 
and  that  way  is  to  thoroughly  appreciate  what  is  bestowed.  Neg- 
lect, misuse,  destroy  it,  and  the  good  becomes  bad,  the  sweet 
grows  bitter,  the  pleasure  is  a  pain.  Cherish  and  protect  it,  enjoy 
its  beauty,  thrive  upon  its  benefits,  keep  it  alive  and  busy  with 
daily  and  earnest  use,  and  the  blessing  it  proves  to  us  will  add  an 
hourly  joy,  a  happiness  sincere  and  unalloyed,  to  the  life  that  has 
crowned  its  years  of  honest  labor,  of  persistent  faith  and  un- 
daunted courage  with  this  costly  and  generous  gift. 

The  cavalier  of  days  gone  past,  the  hero  of  old  romance,  odd 
mixture  of  robber  and  gentleman,  who,  in  the  quaint  pages  of 
Froissart  or  Monstrelet,  gives  choice  flowers  to  her  whose  colors 
adorn  his  helmet,  is  poorly  repaid  by  the  ready  smile  and  phrase 
of  courteous  compliment,  if,  in  an  hour,  he  finds  the  faded  petals 
crushed  and  thrown  away,  but  is  rewarded  beyond  desert  if  they 
bloom  in  the  dark  locks,  or  blossom  in  the  castle  window,  watched 


APPRECIA  TION.  1 7  5 

and  watered  with  patient  care.  The  generous  friend  who  gives 
some  work  of  art,  some  choicely  selected  triumph  of  the  chisel, 
or  the  brush,  some  gem  of  Rome  or  Florence,  has  but  slender 
thanks,  if,  after  courtesy  is  done,  and  novelty  is  gone,  the  picture 
glooms  in  cobwebs,  or  in  the  dark,  and  the  marble  bust  is  broken 
or  defaced  ;  but  is  richly  paid  if,  over  the  student's  desk,  or  in  the 
firelight  of  a  cheerful  home,  his  gifts  are  kept  and  prized.  We 
can  bear  that  toys  and  playthings  should  be  first  forgotten  and 
then  destroyed.  The  child's  new  happiness  is  so  fresh  and  ear- 
nest that  we  feel  at  once  repaid,  and,  knowing  well  the  fitful- 
ness  of  the  little  heart,  the  curious  turns  of  the  little  mind,  the 
sure  destructiveness  of  the  little  hand,  we  expect,  when  the  novelty 
has  worn  away,  to  see  the  doll  bleeding  sawdust  from  gaping 
wounds,  the  tin  engine  ruined  in  collision,  the  playhouse  splin- 
tered by  an  earthquake. 

But  it  is  not  a  toy  or  a  plaything  with  which  we  have  to  do.  It 
is  a  broad  and  substantial  good.  And  we  are  not  children  to  be 
judged  by  the  child's  years  and  weakness.  If,  therefore,  this  great 
gift  of  ours,  when  every  room  has  grown  familiar,  and  every 
quaint  old  volume  has  lost  its  charms,  and  the  rare  birds  of  the 
hunter  artist,  and  the  bold  illustrations  of  Dante's  verse,  and  per- 
fect etching  of  all  art  and  science  have  ceased  to  be  new  and 
strange,  if  then  we  neglect  them  all,  and  shadows  only  occupy  the 
quiet  alcoves,  and  the  neglected  books  gather  dust  upon  their 
shelves,  and  the  pleasant  reading-rooms  are  dim  and  vacant,  and 
the  grand  purpose  of  the  gift  fails  of  its  aim,  no  flattering  words  of 
ours,  however  softly  phrased  or  deftly  framed,  will  soothe  the  pain- 
ful convictions  that  the  costly  effort  is  but  a  waste  and  a  failure. 

Just  here,  and  in  the  light  of  these  reflections,  we  get  clear 
views  of  our  duty  and  our  grave  responsibility.  The  gratitude  we 
owe  for  the  princely  gift  whose  keys  and  title-deeds  have  just  been 
given  us,  demands  that  we  appreciate  the  boon.  Our  own  per- 
sonal interests,  the  good  that  but  awaits  our  will  to  take  it,  the 
long  and  endless  train  of  benefits  that  are  ours,  if  we  will  but  have 
them — these,  too,  demand  that  we  appreciate  the  gift.  If  you 
ask  me  how,  you  furnish  me  a  theme  hard  to  compress  within  the 


176  EZRA    CORNELL. 

moments  granted  me,  and  yet  the  one  most  needing  thought,  and 
of  gravest  consequence  to  us  all.  Let  us,  at  least,  frame  some 
brief  and  general  answer. 

One  cannot  appreciate  what  he  does  not  thoroughly  under- 
stand. A  man  may  see  the  expansive  energy  of  steam,  and  even 
understand  the  engine  mechanism — here  opens,  here  shuts  a  valve, 
and  the  piston-rod  moves,  and  the  wheels  revolve  ;  but  until  he 
sees  the  giant  power  at  work,  beholds  it  linking  with  an  iron  chain 
the  commerce  of  hemispheres,  cutting  the  ocean  into  roads  and 
grand  avenues  of  trade,  weaving  the  faintest  fibre  into  glossy  silk 
and  spotless  lawn,  grinding  the  grain  of  continents,  and  proving 
itself  the  great  world  artisan,  he  utterly  fails  to  appreciate  the 
magnitude  and  grandeur  of  the  tireless  force.  We  must  thoroughly 
comprehend  the  gift  we  have  received,  or  we  shall  fail  to  appre- 
ciate its  value.  We  have  a  costly  edifice,  a  place  for  books,  and 
rooms  in  which  to  read  them.  So  much  is  on  the  surface.  Set 
this  simple  machinery  at  work,  and  what  is  it  then  ?  An  educat- 
ing force,  an  aid  and  a  stimulant  to  intelligence,  the  refining  ele- 
ment of  social  life,  the  means  and  the  guide  of  advancing  civi- 
lization, the  safeguard  of  freedom,  the  sure  foundation  of  the 
Republic. 

But  just  emerged  from  a  sad  and  terrible  war,  let  us  not  be 
blinded  by  the  splendors  of  victory  to  the  truth  that  underlies 
that  victory.  Brave  as  were  our  citizen  soldiers,  bravery  alone 
would  never  have  won  success.  Bravery,  led  by  intelligence,  sus- 
tained by  intelligence,  armed  and  supplied  and  stimulated  by  in- 
telligence, that  planted  the  stars  upon  every  fortress,  that  turned 
the  batteries  of  fate,  that  made  the  Republic  iron-clad  against  its 
enemies.  And  if,  in  the  future,  we  are  to  reap  the  promise  of  our 
youth,  if  the  last  great  storm  has  been  encountered,  and  the  last 
deadly  peril  escaped,  and  the  nation  is  to  march  steadily  in  the 
van  of  civilization,  it  will  be  because  intelligence  keeps  pace  with 
prosperity,  because  just  such  agencies  as  that  we  organize  to-day 
crown  the  hillsides  and  crowd  the  valleys  of  the  land.  Commerce 
will  not  save  us,  wealth  will  not  save  us,  armies  will  not  save  us. 
Only  as  every  door  is  opened  to  that  knowledge  which  is  power, 


A    WANT  SUPPLIED.  1/7 

as  every  mind  is  flooded  with  the  sunlight  of  intelligence,  as  every 
avenue  of  civilization  is  swept  of  the  barriers  which  ignorance 
builds,  and  crime  arms  and  mans,  can  we  hope  to  round  the  his- 
tory of  the  world  with  that  world's  crowning  triumph.  A  key  to 
one  such  door,  a  ray  of  that  golden  sunlight,  a  battery  to  breach 
these  barriers — that  is  the  kind  and  the  character  of  the  gift  we 
have  received  to-night.  Thus  grasping  the  expansive  and  pervad- 
ing force  with  which  we  work,  we  shall  better  appreciate  the  wis- 
dom which  has  framed  it  to  our  hands. 

Men  little  appreciate  what  they  do  not  need,  but  always,  and 
greatly,  that  which  supplies  a  want  and  fills  an  evident  void.  The 
folly  of  giving  what  is  not  needed,  of  heaping  coals  on  the  mine  of 
original  supply,  has  crystallized  into  the  sarcasm  of  a  proverb  ; 
and  unless  we  know  and  feel  that  this  generous  gift  of  ours  is  a 
needed  one,  that  the  harvest  is  ripe  for  the  sickle,  but  the  reapers 
are  indeed  few,  we  shall  not  half  appreciate  the  importance  of  our 
trust.  Deeming  this  village  home  of  ours  no  worse,  if  not  better 
than  the  average  of  her  sisters  in  the  land,  there  are  yet  some 
truths  to  be  plainly  said,  some  wounds  to  be  probed,  not  poulticed. 
And  I  declare  to  you  as  the  result  of  careful  observation,  of 
thought  not  hasty,  but  deliberate  through  the  years,  that  no  one 
thing  has  been  more  needed  in  our  intellectual  social  and  business 
life  than  the  very  institution  now  organized.  It  is  needed  by  us 
as  individuals.  We  have  suffered — none  rightly  appreciate  to  what 
painful  extent — for  the  want  of  means  of  fair  and  accurate  inves- 
tigation. We  have  been  guided  by  old  standards.  We  have 
travelled  in  the  deep  ruts  cut  by  the  venerable  wheels  of  habit, 
and  only  wondered  at  the  daring  horsemen  scaling  fences  and 
fields  far  in  our  advance.  Our  very  business  energies  have  thus 
been  dwarfed.  The  vision  habitually  limited  in  time  grows  hope- 
lessly narrow.  The  mechanic  builds  and  forges,  molds  and 
completes,  as  his  father  or  his  master  did,  because,  without  chart 
or  pilot,  he  dares  not  brave  the  storms  of  bold  experiment.  The 
laborer  and  his  children  settle  down  into  the  treadmill  round  of  daily 
toil,  sad-eyed,  and  weary,  and  unambitious,  without  temptation, 
because  without  the  means  of  living  a  broader  or  more  intelligent 


178  EZRA    CORNELL. 

life.  The  men  of  the  professions  save  and  lose,  succeed  and  fail, 
preach  and  pray,  successful  within  the  range  of  some  narrow  hori- 
zon, but  themselves  conscious  of  the  need  of  some  broader  cul- 
ture, and  the  means  of  wider  study. 

But,  if  needed  by  individuals,  this  institution,  which  we  dedi- 
cate to-day,  is  more  needed  by  the  community.  Is  our  American 
intelligence  diffused  as  it  should  be  among  all,  or  largely  limited 
within  narrow  ranges  ?  I  do  not  like  to  speak  as  strongly  as  I 
think,  but  some  facts  are  palpable  and  tangible.  We  can  put  a 
tambourine  upon  one  corner  of  the  public  platform,  clattering 
bones  upon  the  other,  and  blackened  faces  all  along  the  curve, 
and  fill  audience  seats  almost  to  suffocation.  Or,  we  can  place 
there  unrivalled  eloquence,  thought  clear  as  the  spring,  yet  deep 
and  grand  as  the  ocean,  learning  boundless  though  unassuming, 
logic  forged  red-hot  upon  the  anvil  of  intellect,  brilliant  beauty 
inwove  with  compacted  reason,  and  be  chilled  with  the  solitude 
that  fringes  the  few  who  are  assembled,  and  bear  our  losses  with 
the  hopeless  calm  that  comes  of  long  experience. 

What  are  the  masses  reading  ?  I  think  it  would  shock  you  to 
know  accurately  and  in  detail.  Newspapers  that  pander  to  the 
worst  passions  of  human  nature  ;  weeklies  that  systematically  cor- 
rupt the  public  taste  ;  hovels  that  are  stimulating  and  fiery ; 
poems  rank  and  luxuriant  with  vicious  fascination  ;  magazines 
literally  framed  of  silliness  and  folly — these,  and  worse  than  these, 
too  largely  engross  the  public  mind,  and  too  surely  deprave  the 
public  taste.  Love  of  excitement — the  American  fault — which 
makes  our  pulses  throb  savagely  and  our  hearts  beat  swift  and 
hard  ;  which  heats  the  machinery  of  our  activity,  and  burns  out 
our  lives  at  middle  age — this  hot,  hurried,  eager  temperament 
craves  and  is  fed  by  an  ephemeral  literature  both  stimulating 
and  dangerous  ;  while  the  books  of  solid  merit,  the  volumes 
rich  in  ennobling  thought,  the  pages  fruitful  of  eternal  truth, 
lie  silent  upon  the  shelves,  or  shed  their  light  only  within  narrow 
bounds. 

What  are  our  young  men  doing  ?  Dare  we  write  the  history 
of  the  street  ?  Idle  evenings,  vacant  thoughts,  restless  longings, 


FOR    GENERAL    USE.  1/9 

grow,  by  inevitable  law,  into  folly  or  into  vice,  and  that  culmi- 
nates into  crime.  And  those  who  safely  run  these  terrible  risks — 
and  the  wrecks  are  more  than  the  saved — gradually  dwarfed  by 
daily  drudgery,  brain  starved  by  lack  of  mental  food,  sad  and  de- 
spairing for  want  of  wise  encouragement  and  intelligent  aid,  plead 
with  their  sad  eyes  and  beg  with  their  mute  lips  for  the  very  assist- 
ance it  is  now  possible  for  us  to  give.  Do  you  know  their  num- 
ber ?  More  than  you  think  or  dream.  The  need  is  great,  the 
want  is  terrible  ;  and,  if  we  feel  it  as  we  should,  realize  it  as  we 
may,  we  shall  better  appreciate  the  gift  that  has  been  bestowed, 
and  the  grave  responsibility  that  rests  upon  us  all,  of  so  wielding 
its  advantages  and  guiding  its  energies  that  the  evil  we  see  may 
at  least  be  lessened,  if  not  destroyed. 

A  thing  made  for  use  is  never  properly  appreciated  unless 
used.  If  the  deft  machine,  marvel  of  modern  ingenuity,  whose 
needle  clicks  through  tiresome  hem  and  weary  seam  with  happy 
speed,  stands  idle  and  unused,  the  giver  is  pained,  for  the  good 
intended  has  failed  of  its  purpose.  If  the  clattering  teeth  made  to 
level  the  golden  grain  and  reap  with  bite  of  steel  the  autumn 
harvest,  lie  silent  in  the  field,  weather-stained  and  gnawed  with 
rust,  and  perishing  with  neglect,  the  giver  grieves,  for  the  gift  is 
a  waste  and  a  pain.  Our  gift,  therefore,  we  must  steadily  use, 
both  for  the  sake  of  him  who  gave  and  of  those  who  receive.  Not 
a  few,  but  all.  The  artisan  must  come  to  improve  his  work  and 
lighten  his  toil ;  the  man  of  business,  to  better  mold  and  more 
surely  shape  his  plans  ;  he  of  the  professions,  to  elevate  and  adorn 
his  art ;  she  who  graces  our  homes  and  firesides,  to  add  the  charm 
of  high  culture  and  intelligence  to  the  beauty  of  womanhood  ;  and 
all,  that  knowledge  may  be  diffused,  industry  stimulated,  greater 
attainments  won,  and  the  doors  of  honorable  ambition  thrown 
wide  to  each  who  chooses  to  enter  for  the  struggle.  That  it  be 
used  by  all,  that  is  the  important  thing.  This  is  not  the  library 
of  an  Astor,  fit  home  for  .the  scholar  and  man  of  letters,  rich  in 
its  grand  collections,  but  not  to  be  profaned  by  common  feet,  and 
close  and  surly  to  the  nameless  crowd ;  not  a  British  Museum, 
out  of  whose  half  million  of  volumes  but  twenty  thousand  are 


180  EZRA    CORNELL. 

free  to  all  comers,  and  useful  access  to  the  rest  is  clogged  and 
hindered  by  exclusive  rules  and  tedious  forms  ;  not  an  Imperial 
Library,  with  more  than  its  million  of  books,  whose  very  vast- 
ness  bewilders  and  daunts  the  poor  and  lowly  ;  nothing  too  great, 
nothing  too  grand  for  daily  and  common  use,  to  which  it  invites 
and  urges  all. 

It  belongs  to  all.  Let  that  be  remembered.  Not  to  a  chosen 
few  to  monopolize  its  benefits ;  not  to  a  narrow  circle  to  frown  on 
all  the  rest ;  but  to  all,  to  every  one  as  equal  with  every  other. 
The  poorest  boy,  barefooted  in  the  street,  if  he  but  come  to  read 
and  learn,  may  climb  yon  solid  staircase  with  the  confidence  of 
title,  with  the  step  of  a  master,  joint  owner  with  us  all ;  he  has 
a  right  to  demand,  and  shall  surely  receive,  from  those  of  us  who 
hold  this  gift  in  trust,  a  kindly  reception,  all  needed  aid  and  assist- 
ance, not  as  a  favor,  but  as  a  right,  for  which  he  holds  our  found- 
er's title-deed. 

It  is  yours,  this  welcome  gift.  Treat  it,  therefore,  as  your 
own,  use  it  as  your  own.  I  hope  to  see  its  alcoves  filled  with  quiet 
students,  its  reading-rooms  each  evening  occupied  with  earnest 
youth,  its  volumes  circulating  in  every  home,  its  peaceful  influence 
everywhere.  Let  that  result  be  attained,  and  we  shall  indeed 
have  thanked  the  giver  ;  the  fact  alone,  better  than  parchment- 
written  flatteries,  or  a  city's  freedom  in  a  box  of  gold,  will  crown 
his  gift  with  gratitude. 

Men  never  appreciate  justly  what  they  hate,  and  seldom  what 
they  do  not  truthfully  love.  This  institution,  therefore,  must  have 
no  enemies  ;  if  any,  those  alone  whom  vice  and  crime  have  made 
the  brutal  foes  of  all  intelligence.  I  know  that  in  every  commu- 
nity there  are  sour  and  envious  natures,  of  bilious  tone  and  acid 
tongue,  whose  words  are  sharp  and  acrid,  whose  opinions  are  rank 
and  rasping,  whose  theory  of  climbing  high  is  hurling  others  low, 
who  grow  tired  of  hearing  Aristides  called  "  the  Just,"  and  whose 
friendship  it  may  be  a  hopeless  task  to  win.  But  these  natures, 
preyed  upon  by  canker  and  gangrene,  are  simply  diseased,  to  be 
pitied  and  passed  by.  From  all  the  rest,  their  love,  their  care, 
their  watchful  regard  is  due  to  this  enterprise,  which  is  their  own. 


INDEPENDENT.  l8l 

It  will  make  mistakes,  perhaps  ;  let  the  error  be  shown  only  to  be 
forgiven.  It  may,  sometimes,  give  offence  ;  not  purposely,  you 
may  be  sure  ;  if  so,  let  pardon  at  once  wipe  out  the  pain.  Diffi- 
culties will  often  obstruct  its  management :  tastes  will  differ,  judg- 
ments will  collide,  dangers  perplex  ;  but  all  these  troubles  will  be 
light  as  foam  if  only  the  gift  be  strongly  anchored  in  the  love 
and  trust  of  those  to  whom  it  is  given.  To  justify  that  confidence 
it  has,  we  think,  been  wisely  planned.  Creeds  differ.  It  will  re- 
spect all,  but  ally  itself  with  none.  If  theologians  grow  belliger- 
ent, and  preach  the  gospel  from  the  back  of  a  war-horse  clothed 
in  thunder,  and  with  fierce  flashings  of  battle-axe  and  cleaver,  the 
fight  shall  not  come  here  to  divide  and  distract  our  quiet  work. 
Men  disagree  in  politics.  It  is  their  right.  We  shall  treat  them 
fairly  and  alike,  but  side  with  none.  With  however  much  of 
storm  or  fury  the  battle  may  rage,  peace  alone  shall  be  the  con- 
queror here.  Society  is  cut  into  classes ;  invisible  lines  divide  ; 
arbitrary  divisions  sever.  We  must  recognize  none  of  them.  For 
us  there  can  be  but  one  class,  and  that  the  entire  community.  In 
all  these  respects  this  institution  will  be  neutral  ground,  and  bellig- 
erents are  warned  to  leave  their  arms  at  the  gates.  Not  that  opin- 
ion shall  be  muzzled,  or  free  thought  manacled,  or  reason  chained  ; 
but  that  all  shall  have  equal  favor,  equal  rights  ;  not  less,  not 
one  grain  more. 

So  much  is  due  to  those  for  whose  benefit  this  gift  is  made. 
And  may  not  we,  who  hold  this  trust,  expect  from  them  that  sym- 
pathy with  and  regard  for  the  interests  in  our  charge  which  will 
insure  their  successful  working  ?  Then  no  vandal  hand  will  mar 
and  deface  the  purity  of  these  walls ;  no  envious  word  or  spiteful 
sneer  will  sow  the  seeds  of  discord  ;  no  cold  neglect  will  chill  and 
freeze  ;  no  hostile  blow  be  aimed  ;  but  many  a  rare  volume,  placed 
where  all  may  read,  will  prove  its  owner's  interest  in  our  work  ;  and 
in  the  end,  by  gradual  growth  and  fostering  care,  will  come  a 
public  good,  a  public  blessing,  honorable  alike  to  the  hand  that 
framed  and  the  hearts  that  cherished  it. 

But  one  word  more.  The  example  of  which  this  gift  to-day  is 
the  first  fruit  ;  of  which  a  proof  more  rich  and  costly  is  fast  rising, 


1 82  EZRA    CORNELL. 

with  massive  walls  and  graceful  arches,  upon  the  heights  that  over- 
look our  homes — that  example  I  commend  to  each  in  his  own  de- 
gree. It  shames  the  miser's  clutch  upon  that,  which  hoarded,  is 
but  cankering  dross  ;  it  shames  the  selfish  instinct  that  bars  out 
the  world  from  all  it  has  and  hopes  ;  it  shames  the  vicious  reason- 
ing that  all  can  starve  and  yet  each  one  thrive  ;  it  brings  to  light 
the  rusted  links  of  the  forgotten  chain  that  binds  our  interests  in 
one  ;  it  bids  us  bear  our  part  in  generous  deeds  and  manly  efforts 
for  the  good  of  all.  Intelligent  public  spirit,  that  is  what  we 
need,  and  of  which  we  shall  never  have  too  much.  Let  us  catch 
the  spirit  of  the  age.  Washed  from  the  blood  and  dust  of  war, 
conscious  now  of  a  strength  we  knew  not  of,  roused  by  the  pres- 
sure of  magnificent  debt  to  a  new  prosperity,  the  Nation  moves 
with  speed  redoubled — breathless.  The  bars  of  iron  stretch 
toward  the  Pacific,  the  lightning  traverses  the  ocean's  bed  ;  great 
stormy  lakes  are  tamed  to  fill  the  goblets  of  a  city;  a  buried 
wealth  is  reached  to  light  the  hamlets  of  the  world  ;  mountains  of 
surly  rock  are  tunnelled  out  to  make  a  road  for  steam  ;  invention 
knows  no  sleep,  and  genius  dares  not  rest. 

Something  of  this  spirit  should  be  ours.  So  many  lights  are 
being  set  upon  our  hills,  so  wondering  a  gaze  is  turning  hither,  so 
grand  and  grave  is  becoming  our  position,  that  more  of  thought, 
more  of  labor,  more  of  energy  will  become  us  all.  If  we  cannot 
beat  the  drums  of  the  advance,  at  least  let  us  not  sleep  in  the  am- 
bulance at  the  rear ;  if  we  cannot  reach  the  mountain  top,  at  least 
let  us  not  slumber  in  the  valley.  Above  all  let  those  who  lead  in 
every  good  and  noble  work  receive  our  sympathy  and  gratitude. 
Let  them  see  and  feel  that  every  possible  aid  of  ours  is  at  their 
service  ;  and,  as  the  first  important  step  of  such  grateful  action, 
let  us  take  this  generous  gift  which  has  been  made  to-night,  with 
thankful  and  appreciating  hearts  ;  let  us  enfold  it  in  our  love  and 
care  ;  let  it  be  our  pride  as  citizens,  our  blessing  as  individuals  ; 
let  us  firmly  resolve  its  success  ;  forever  make  impossible  the  burn- 
ing shame  and  bitter  disgrace  of  accepting  a  costly  gift  only  to 
bury  it  in  neglect  and  failure. 


CONCLUSION.  183 

It  is  now  a  noble  and  generous  boon  ;  the  passing  years  will 
make  it  sacred.  The  day  will  come  which  must  come  once  to  all — 
and,  Oh,  may  it  be  far  and  dim  in  the  distant  years — when  the  un- 
wearied giver  shall  give  no  more  on  earth,  and  this  gift  will  be- 
come a  monument.  Let  us  love  it  now,  that  we  may  better  give  it 
reverence  then,  and  from  its  silent  influence  learn  anew  the  lesson 
that 

Only  the  actions  of  the  just 

Smell  sweet  and  blossom  in  the  dust. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY.— CHARTER  AND  ORGAN- 
IZATION. 

Demand  for  Scientific  Education. — The  Agricultural  College. — Its 
Failure. — Congressional  Appropriation  of  Public  Lands  for 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Education. — Acceptance  by  the 
State. — Appropriation  to  People's  College. — Inadequate  Vital- 
ity and  Withdrawal  of  Appropriation. — Mr.  Cornell's  Offer  of 
$500,000.— Animated  Contest. — Charter  of  Cornell  Univer- 
sity.— Offensive  Proviso. — Location  of  the  University. — Ad- 
ditional Contributions  by  the  Founder. — Erection  of  College 
Edifices. — President  White. — University  Faculty  and  Equip- 
ment.— Liberal  Attendance  of  Students. 

THE  importance  and  desirability  of  providing  spe- 
cial facilities  for  advanced  education  in  the  sciences 
relating  to  agriculture,  were  for  many  years  sub- 
jects of  earnest  discussion  in  agricultural  jour- 
nals of  the  country,  and  more  especially  in  those 
of  this  State.  The  cause  was  warmly  espoused 
by  the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society,  and 
found  many  earnest  advocates  among  the  more 
intelligent  farmers  of  the  State,  as  well  as  among 
the  active  friends  of  education.  The  agitation  of 
the  subject  finally  resulted  in  the  passage  by  the 


AGRICULTURAL    COLLEGE,  185 

Legislature,  in  1853,  of  an  act  incorporating  the 
"  New  York  State  Agricultural  College." 

The  act  provided  that  the  State  should  loan  the 
institution  forty  thousand  dollars  for  a  period  of 
twenty-one  years,  without  interest,  on  condition 
that  an  equal  amount  should  be  raised  by  private 
contributions.  The  trustees,  named  in  the  bill, 
fixed  the  location  of  the  institution  in  the  town  of 
Ovid,  Seneca  County,  and  selected  for  its  site  a 
magnificent  estate  of  six  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  fertile  land,  overlooking  the  Seneca  Lake.  It 
was  not,  however,  until  the  year  1858  that  the 
necessary  subscriptions  had  been  secured  to  ren- 
der the  State  loan  available,  when  the  trustees  be- 
gan the  erection  of  a  college  edifice  on  the  site 
designated.  The  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the 
trustees  were  exhausted  before  the  building  was 
completed,  and  the  liberality  of  the  friends  of  the 
enterprise  was  strained  to  the  utmost  to  provide 
for  finishing  the  building,  and  fitting  it  for  active 
operations. 

The  College  was  finally  opened  for  the  recep- 
tion of  students  in  the  autumn  of  1860,  and  in- 
struction was  begun  with  a  class  of  between  forty 
and  fifty  students,  and  a  faculty  consisting  of  the 
president  and  four  professors.  Unfortunately, 
however,  no  adequate  endowment  had  been  pro- 
vided for  the  support  of  the  College  ;  nothing, 


1 86  EZRA    CORNELL, 

indeed,  had  been  furnished  beyond  the  land  and 
building,  a  very  limited  equipment  of  furniture, 
and  a  quite  insignificant  apparatus.  The  in- 
stitution had  no  income  for  its  support  beyond 
that  derived  from  tuition  fees,  which  were  wholly 
inadequate  for  the  payment  of  current  expenses. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  great  rebellion,  in 
April,  1 86 1,  the  President  of  the  College,  who 
was  a  graduate  of  the  West  Point  Military  Acad- 
emy, was  called  to  Albany  by  the  Governor  to 
aid  in  the  military  preparations  of  the  State,  re- 
turning occasionally  to  the  College  as  his  duties 
permitted,  during  the  remainder  of  the  school 
year.  Under  all  of  the  discouraging  circum- 
stances attending  the  early  experience  of  the  Col- 
lege, it  was  not  strange  that  before  the  close  of 
the  first  year  a  considerable  number  of  the  stu- 
dents had  abandoned  the  pursuit  of  agricultural 
science,  and  responded  to  the  call  of  President 
Lincoln  for  volunteers  to  suppress  the  rebellion. 

As  it  became  apparent  that  the  war  was  to 
be  of  considerable  duration,  the  trustees  of  the 
Agricultural  College  decided  not  to  open  it  for  in- 
struction in  the  fall  of  1861,  but  to  await  more 
fortuitous  circumstances.  This  closing  of  the  Col- 
lege, however,  proved  to  be  permanent,  in  default 
of  any  provision  for  its  support,  and  the  property 
was  afterward  taken  by  the  State  in  satisfaction 


ACTION  OF   CONGRESS.  187 

of  its  claim,  and  devoted  to  the  purposes  of  the 
Willard  Asylum  for  the  chronic  insane. 

At  the  most  critical  period  of  the  great  struggle 
for  national  existence,  responding  to  a  general 
sentiment  in  favor  of  some  practical  provision  for 
agricultural  education,  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  illustrated  the  unwavering  faith  of  the  loyal 
people  in  the  complete  restoration  of  national 
unity  by  the  enactment,  in  July,  1862,  of  Chapter 
130,  General  Statutes,  entitled,  "An  act  donating 
public  lands  to  the  several  States  and  Territories 
which  may  provide  colleges  for  the  benefit  of  ag- 
riculture and  the  mechanic  arts." 

This  act  conceived  in  far-reaching  wisdom, 
granted  to  each  State  a  quantity  of  public  land 
equal  to  thirty  thousand  acres  for  each  senator 
and  representative  in  Congress  under  the  census 
of  1860,  and  provided  for  the  sale  of  the  lands  and 
investment  of  the  proceeds  in  permanent  funds, 
the  income  of  which  should  by  each  State  be  ap- 
propriated "  to  the  endowment,  support,  and  main- 
tenance of  at  least  one  college,  where  the  leading 
object  shall  be,  without  excluding  other  scientific 
and  classical  studies,  and  including  military  tactics, 
to  teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related  to 
agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  in  such  manner 
as  the  Legislatures  of  the  States  may  respectively 
prescribe,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal  and 


1 88  EZRA    CORNELL. 

practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the 
several  pursuits  and  professions  of  life." 

Under  the  provisions  of  this  act  the  State  of 
New  York  became  entitled  to  receive  990,000 
acres  of  public  lands,  and  by  the  enactment  of 
Chapter  460,  of  the  laws  of  1863,  the  State  ac- 
cepted the  trust,  and  made  preliminary  provision 
for  the  receipt  and  custody  of  the  scrip,  and  au- 
thorized the  Comptroller  to  sell  the  land  and  in- 
vest the  proceeds  in  conformity  with  the  law  of 
Congress.  A  subsequent  act,  Chapter  511,  laws 
of  1863,  appropriated  the  income  of  the  Land 
Grant  Fund  to  an  undeveloped  institution,  known 
as  the  "  People's  College,"  at  Havana,  Schuyler 
County,  thus  completely  ignoring  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College,  which,  by  all  fair  means,  should 
have  been  selected  by  the  Legislature  as  the  re- 
cipient of  this  federal  bounty.  Although  the  pass- 
age of  this  measure  was  earnestly  opposed  by 
the  friends  of  the  Agricultural  College,  it  was 
promoted  by  some  invisible  power,  and  became  a 
law. 

That  the  partisans  of  the  People's  College 
proved  to  be  more  effective  as  promoters  of  leg- 
islation than  in  building  up  a  real  college,  was 
demonstrated  by  the  report  of  the  Regents  of  the 
State  University  under  an  investigation  made, 
pursuant  to  the  direction  of  the  State  Senate,  in 


MUNIFICENT  OFFER.  189 

the  month  of  February,  1865.  This  report  ex- 
posed the  ridiculous  pretence  which  had  been 
made  in  reference  to  the  People's  College,  and 
clearly  demonstrated  that  no  adequate  steps  had 
been  taken  to  create  such  an  institution  as  the 
statutes  contemplated.  The  earnestly  devoted 
friends  of  agricultural  education  were  fully  aroused 
by  this  exposure,  and  urgently  demanded  legisla- 
tion which  should  make  proper  amends  for  the 
injustice  done  to  their  cause  by  the  wrongful  ap- 
propriation of  the  Land  Grant  Fund  to  the  so- 
called  People's  College. 

At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  Mr.  Cornell  offered 
the  trustees  of  the  Agricultural  College  a  personal 
endowment  of  $300,000,  on  condition  that  the  in- 
stitution should  be  removed  from  Ovid  and  located 
at  Ithaca,  and  provided  further  that  the  Legislature 
should  appropriate  to  it  one-half  of  the  income  of 
the  Land  Grant  Fund.  Finding,  among  the  more 
intelligent  champions  of  higher  education,  a  very 
decided  expression  against  dividing  and  fritter- 
ing away  the  federal  income,  Mr.  Cornell  sub- 
sequently increased  his  offer  of  endowment  to 
$500,000,  if  the  entire  Land  Grant  income  were 
permanently  appropriated  to  the  institution. 

This  proposition  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  friends  of  agricultural  education  to  a  high 
pitch,  and  stimulated  their  ambition  to  still  higher 


19°  EZRA    CORNELL. 

aims  than  they  had  ever  before  entertained.  Mr. 
Cornell's  proposition  was  very  cordially  accepted, 
and,  after  careful  consultation,  it  was  decided  to 
abandon  the  Agricultural  College  entirely,  and 
take  steps  to  secure  the  necessary  legislation 
for  the  organization  of  a  general  university,  which 
should  also  embrace  the  special  features  required 
by  the  congressional  act.  In  pursuance  of  this 
policy  a  carefully  prepared  bill  was  presented  to 
the  Legislature  for  the  incorporation  of  the  "  Cor- 
nell University,"  and  embracing  the  conditions 
named. 

The  measure  was  very  bitterly  opposed  by 
the  adherents  of  the  People's  College,  and  zeal- 
ously advocated  by  the  friends  of  the  Agricul- 
tural College  and  other  leading  friends  of  higher 
education.  The  passage  of  the  bill  was  earnestly 
contested  at  every  step  of  progress,  from  its  in- 
troduction to  its  final  enactment.  The  contro- 
versy attracted  general  attention  throughout  the 
State,  and  the  antagonists  of  the  measure  were 
reinforced  by  the  friends  of  several  of  the  minor 
colleges,  who  loudly  clamored  for  a  division  of  the 
fund  among  all  of  the  existing  colleges.  This  pol- 
icy was,  however,  successfully  combated,  on  the 
ground  that  it  would  be  an  idle  dispersion  of  the 
fund,  which  would  practically  defeat  the  objects 
of  its  creation. 


OBNOXIOUS  PROVISO.  IQI 

The  contest  over  the  University  bill  was  so 
evenly  balanced  that  its  friends  found  themselves 
obliged,  as  a  preliminary  to  final  success,  to  ac- 
cept an  amendment  providing  that  "  within  six 
months  from  the  passage  of  this  act,  said  Ezra  Cor- 
nell, of  Ithaca,  shall  pay  over  to  the  trustees  of 
Genesee  College,  located  at  Lima,  in  this  State, 
the  sum  of  twenty-Jive  thousand  dollars  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  in  said  Genesee  College  a 
professorship  of  agricultural  chemistry!1  Thus, 
as  a  condition  of  being  permitted  to  contribute 
the  sum  of  $500,000  to  endow  the  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, a  public  institution  for  the  benefit  of  the 
people  of  the  entire  State,  Mr.  Cornell  was  re- 
quired, by  legislative  enactment,  to  first  give  $25,- 
ooo  to  another  institution.  Many  friends  were 
so  indignant  at  this  provision,  that  they  strongly 
urged  him  to  reject  it ;  but  he  overlooked  the 
indignity,  and  duly  paid  the  money  to  Genesee 
College. 

This  monstrous  abuse  of  philanthropic  gener- 
osity was,  however,  by  the  Legislature,  in  1867, 
so  far  corrected  as  was  possible,  by  appropriating, 
out  of  the  general  fund  of  the  State,  $25,000  to  the 
Cornell  University  for  its  sole  and  exclusive  use, 
"  being  the  amount  which  Ezra  Cornell  has  paid  to 
the  Genesee  College,  pursuant  to  the  require- 
ments of  Chapter  585,  of  the  laws  of  1865."  The 


192  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Cornell  University  charter  also  contained  a  pro- 
viso, giving  the  trustees  of  the  People's  College 
three  months'  time  within  which  to  deposit  such 
sum  of  money  as  the  Regents  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity might  designate  as  sufficient  to  enable 
said  trustees  fully  to  comply  with  the  requirements 
of  the  law  appropriating  to  that  institution  the 
income  of  the  Land  Grant  Fund.  This  essential 
was  not  met  by  the  authorities  of  the  People's 
College,  which  practically  repealed  the  appropria- 
tion of  the  federal  bounty  for  its  benefit. 

Upon  the  fulfilment,  therefore,  of  the  conditions 
of  the  act  of  its  incorporation,  the  Cornell  Univer- 
sity became  entitled  to  receive  the  income  of  the 
Land  Grant  Fund  for  its  exclusive  maintenance. 
The  sale  by  many  States  of  their  land  scrip  had, 
however,  depreciated  its  value  from  more  than  one 
dollar  an  acre  in  1862  to  about  fifty  cents  an  acre  in 
1865,  with  a  downward  tendency.  At  these  fig- 
ures even  the  princely  domain  granted  to  the 
State  of  New  York  would  produce  but  an  insig- 
nificant sum  to  meet  the  necessities  of  a  great 
educational  establishment,  and  one  of  the  first 
questions  which  engaged  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Cornell  was  the  possibility  of  realizing  a  more 
adequate  price  for  the  land  grant.  This  branch 
of  the  general  subject  is  worthy  of  more  elabor- 
ate treatment  than  it  can  properly  receive  in  this 


UNIVERSITY  SITE.  193 

connection,  and  will  therefore  be  reserved  for  sub- 
sequent observation. 

The  charter  of  the  Cornell  University  fixed  its 
location  "in  the  town  of  Ithaca,"  thus  leaving  to 
the  trustees  only  the  discretion  of  selecting  a  site 
within  that  town.  This  question  was  speedily 
solved  by  Mr.  Cornell's  tender  of  two  hundred 
acres  of  his  homestead  farm  as  a  free  contribu- 
tion added  to  his  original  endowment.  This  mag- 
nificent site  was  unanimously  regarded  as  the 
most  appropriate  location  in  the  town,  and  was 
therefore  gratefully  accepted  by  the  board. 

Situated  on  the  brow  of  East  hill,  within  a  mile 
of  the  village,  and  about  four  hundred  feet  above 
the  valley  level,  a  landscape  of  marvellous  beauty 
is  spread  out  before  the  observer.  In  one  direc- 
tion the  beautiful  Cayuga  Lake  is  visible  for 
thirty-five  miles,  while  to  the  southwest  the  eye 
wanders  over  the  valley  and  hills  for  a  distance 
of  nearly  twenty  miles,  making  altogether  a  line 
of  vision  more  than  fifty  miles  in  extent.  One 
who  has  chanced  to  gaze  upon  this  grand  view, 
especially  on  a  bright  and  cloudless  day,  will  long 
remember  it  as  a  privilege  to  be  highly  regarded. 

At  the  outset  of  their  administration  the  trus- 
tees of  the  Cornell  University  determined  upon 
the  preservation  of  Mr.  Cornell's  endowment  as 
a  capital  for  revenue,  and  to  proceed  with  the 
13 


194  EZRA    CORNELL. 

erection  of  buildings  only  so  fast  as  their  surplus 
income  and  other  contributions  might  provide 
means  for  the  purpose.  The  erection  of  the  first 
building,  now  known  as  "  Morrill  Hall,"  was  be- 
gun in  the  spring  of  1866,  and  was  followed  by 
a  large  frame  building  designed  for  the  temporary 
uses  of  the  departments  of  chemistry  and  kindred 
purposes. 

The  organization  of  the  University  faculty  re- 
ceived its  first  formal  impulse  in  1866,  by  the  ap- 
pointment by  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  HON. 
ANDREW  DICKSON  WHITE  as  president  of  the  Uni- 
versity. President  White  was  a  distinguished 
graduate  of  Yale  who  had  also  pursued  a  post- 
graduate course  at  the  University  of  Berlin.  He 
was  for  some  years  professor  of  history  in  the 
University  of  Michigan,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
New  York  State  Senate,  serving  four  years  as  a 
colleague  with  Mr.  Cornell,  where  they  had  be- 
come warmly  attached  as  personal  friends.  Sena- 
tor White  was  the  author  of  the  bill  incorporat- 
ing the  Cornell  University,  and  was  ardent  in  his 
support  of  that  measure.  The  defeat  of  the  pro- 
position to  divide  and  disperse  the  Land  Grant 
income  was  due  more  to  his  arguments  and  influ- 
ence than  to  any  other  cause. 

Senator  White  was,  with  complete  unanimity, 
chosen  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  University  at 


PRESIDENT  WHITE.  1 95 

the  first  meeting  of  the  incorporators,  and  was 
unremitting  in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  interests 
of  the  institution.  He  was  selected  as  president 
of  the  University  by  the  trustees  upon  the  ear- 
nest recommendation  of  the  founder,  who,  by  long 
observation  of  his  personal  characteristics,  had 
become  convinced  of  his  peculiar  fitness  for  the 
extremely  onerous  duties  which  would  devolve 
upon  the  executive  head  of  the  great  institution, 
which,  it  was  fondly  hoped,  might  grow  from  the 
undertaking  then  just  initiated.  After  a  lapse  of 
nearly  twenty  years  the  declaration  is  here  made 
with  entire  deliberation,  that  no  wiser  selection 
could  have  been  made  for  this  important  position. 
President  White  entered  upon  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  with  an  earnest  purpose  to  plant  the 
foundations  of  the  infant  University  broad  and 
deep,  to  insure  its  ultimate  development  into  a 
grand  and  useful  institution,  which  should  be 
worthy  of  the  imperial  Commonwealth  which  had 
given  it  corporate  life,  and  of  the  noble-hearted 
FOUNDER  whose  generous  endowment  had  first 
given  it  vitality,  and  whose  unselfish  labors  con- 
tributed so  much  to  its  subsequent  growth.  He 
declined  farther  service  in  the  Senate,  and  visited 
most  of  the  great  colleges  in  America  and  Europe 
for  observation  as  to  the  best  methods  of  advanced 
education,  and  embraced  every  opportunity  to 


I9<5  EZRA    CORNELL. 

gather  materials  for  the  library  and  equipment  of 
the  University.  President  White  was  entrusted 
\vith  the  unrestricted  choice  of  his  associates  in 
the  faculty,  the  appointments  having  been  formally 
made  by  the  trustees  wholly  upon  his  recom- 
mendation. He  selected  for  the  regular  force  of 
resident  professorships,  almost  exclusively,  young 
men  of  high  attainments  and  of  especial  adapta- 
tion to  the  particular  duties  for  which  they  were 
respectively  designed. 

It  was  President  White's  theory  that  he  could 
secure  better  results  for  the  permanent  useful- 
ness of  the  institution,  by  entrusting  the  hard 
work  of  the  administration  to  young  men  who, 
with  their  reputations  yet  to  make,  would  have 
more  ambition  to  distinguish  themselves,  than 
perhaps  would  ensue  from  the  labors  of  others 
who,  having  achieved  a  name,  might  be  more  dis- 
posed to  rest  contented  with  less  exertion.  He 
supplemented  these  selections  by  securing  as  non- 
resident professors,  several  gentlemen  of  wide  re- 
pute who  were  engaged  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at 
the  University  each  year,  in  delivering  before  the 
advanced  classes  elaborate  and  carefully  prepared 
lectures  in  their  respective  spheres  of  observation 
and  study.  The  President's  policy  has  proved  ad- 
mirable in  practice,  and  has  been  followed  in  many 
of  the  older  institutions,  with  like  good  results. 


EQUIPMENT.  197 

At  the  formal  opening  of  the  University  the 
faculty  embraced  the  following  members :  Six 
non-resident  Professors,  nineteen  resident  Profes- 
sors, four  Assistant  Professors,  and  five  Instruct- 
ors. This  general  University  faculty  was  divided 
into  nine  special  faculties,  each  constituting  a  col- 
lege or  department,  designated  as  follows  :  i,  Col- 
lege of  Agriculture  ;  2,  College  of  Chemistry  and 
Physics  ;  3,  College  of  History  and  Political  Sci- 
ence ;  4,  College  of  Languages ;  5,  College  of 
Literature  and  Philosophy  ;  6,  College  of  Math- 
ematics and  Engineering;  7,  College  of  Mechanic 
Arts  ;  8,  College  of  Military  Science  ;  9,  College 
of  Natural  Science. 

The  University  Library  at  that  time  comprised 
about  twenty-five  thousand  volumes,  which  had 
been  selected  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the 
President.  The  Museums  embraced  very  com- 
plete collections  in  Geology  and  Mineralogy ; 
Botany  and  Agriculture ;  Zoology  and  Physiol- 
ogy; Technology  and  Civil  Engineering;  Chem- 
istry and  Physics ;  and  the  Fine  Arts.  There 
were  enrolled  and  entered  in  the  different  depart- 
ments of  study  nearly  four  hundred  students,  com- 
ing from  fifty  different  counties  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  twenty-seven  States  of  the  Union, 
besides  several  foreign  countries. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE     CORNELL      UNIVERSITY.  —  INAUGURAL     CERE- 
MONIES. 

Opening  of  the  University. — Inaugural  Exercises. — Notable  Oc- 
casion.— Founder's  Address. — President  White's  Inaugural. — 
Subsequent  Benefactions. —  The  McGraw  Building.  — Sibley 
College  of  Mechanic  Arts. — Female  Education. — The  Sage 
College.  —  Sage  Chapel.  —  University  Sermons.  —  Jennie 
McGraw's  Generous  Efforts. — New  Buildings. — Grand  Devel- 
opment.— Increased  Equipment  and  Enlarged  Facilities. — 
The  Founder's  Aims  and  Hopes. 

THE  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY  was  formally  opened  for 
the  reception  of  students  in  the  autumn  of  1868, 
and  the  event  marked  an  era  in  the  history  of  Ith- 
aca, long  to  be  remembered  by  her  citizens.  The 
village  was  thronged  with  visiting  strangers,  and 
everything  betokened  a  joyous  holiday.  Many 
prominent  citizens  were  present  from  distant 
sections  of  the  State,  as  well,  indeed,  as  from 
many  different  States.  Prominent  officers  of  the 
State  government,  and  educators  of  eminence  in 
their  profession,  were  present  in  large  numbers, 
and  the  occasion  altogether  was  one  of  excep- 
tional interest  in  the  educational  annals  of  the 


FOUNDER'S  ADDRESS.  199 

State.  A  large  concourse  of  people  were  in  at- 
tendance at  the  lecture  room  of  the  Cornell  Li- 
brary, where,  on  Wednesday,  October  7th,  the 
formal  exercises  of  the  inauguration  occurred. 
The  address  of  the  FOUNDER,  and  some  extracts 
from  that  of  PRESIDENT  WHITE,  are  here  inserted 
as  pertinent  to  a  review  of  the  history  of  the  Uni- 
versity. 

MR.  CORNELL'S  REMARKS. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Citizens,  and  Friends  :  I  fear  that  many  of  you 
have  visited  Ithaca  at  this  time  to  meet  with  disappointment.  If 
you  came  as  did  a  friend  recently  from  Pennsylvania,  "  expecting 
to  find  a  finished  institution,"  you  will  look  around,  be  disap- 
pointed with  what  you  see,  and  report  on  your  return  to  your 
home,  as  he  did,  "  I  did  not  find  one  single  thing  finished." 

Such,  my  friends,  is  not  the  entertainment  we  invite  you  to. 
We  did  not  expect  to  have  "  a  single  thing  finished,"  we  did  not 
desire  it,  and  we  have  not  directed  our  energies  to  that  end.  It  is 
the  commencement  that  we  have  now  in  hand.  We  did  expect  to 
have  commenced  an  institution  of  learning,  which  will  mature  in 
the  future  to  a  great  degree  of  usefulness,  which  will  place  at  the 
disposal  of  the  industrial  and  productive  classes  of  society  the 
best  facilities  for  the  acquirement  of  practical  knowledge  and 
mental  culture,  on  such  terms  as  the  limited  means  of  the  most 
humble  can  command. 

I  hope  we  have  laid  the  foundation  of  an  institution  which  shall 
combine  practical  with  liberal  education,  which  shall  fit  the  youth 
of  our  country  for  the  professions,  the  farms,  the  mines,  the  man- 
ufactories, for  the  investigations  of  science,  and  for  mastering  all 
the  practical  questions  of  life  with  success  and  honor. 

I  believe  that  we  have  made  the  beginning  of  an  institution 
which  will  prove  highly  beneficial  to  the  poor  young  men  and  the 
poor  young  women  of  our  country.  This  is  one  thing  which  we 


200  EZRA    CORNELL. 

have  not  finished,  but  in  the  course  of  time  we  hope  to  reach  such 
a  state  of  perfection  as  will  enable  any  one,  by  honest  efforts  and 
earnest  labor,  to  secure  a  thorough,  practical,  scientific  or  classi- 
cal education.  The  individual  is  better,  society  is  better,  and  the 
State  is  better  for  the  culture  of  the  citizen  ;  therefore,  we  desire 
to  extend  the  means  for  the  culture  of  all. 

I  trust  that  we  have  made  the  beginning  of  an  institution  which 
shall  bring  science  more  directly  to  the  aid  of  agriculture,  and 
other  branches  of  productive  labor.  Chemistry  has  the  same 
great  stores  of  wealth  in  reserve  for  agriculture  that  it  has  lavished 
so  profusely  upon  the  arts.  We  must  instruct  the  young  farmer 
how  to  avail  himself  of  this  hidden  treasure. 

The  veterinarian  will  shield  him  against  many  of  the  losses  which 
are  frequent  in  his  flocks  and  herds,  losses  which  are  now  sub- 
mitted to  as  matters  of  course  by  the  uneducated  farmer,  and 
which,  in  the  aggregate,  amount  to  millions  of  dollars  every  year 
in  our  own  State  alone. 

The  entomologist  must  arm  him  for  more  successful  warfare  in 
defence  of  his  growing  crops,  as  the  ravages  of  insects  upon  both 
grain  and  fruit  have  become  enormous,  resulting  also  in  the  loss  of 
many  millions  of  dollars  each  year. 

Thus,  in  whatever  direction  we  turn,  we  find  ample  opportunity 
for  the  applications  of  science  in  aid  of  the  toiling  millions.  May 
we  not  hope  that  we  have  made  the  beginning  of  an  institution 
which  will  strengthen  the  arm  of  the  mechanic  and  multiply  his 
powers  of  production  through  the  agency  of  a  better  cultivated 
brain  ?  Any  person  who  visits  our  Patent  Office,  at  Washington, 
and  contemplates  the  long  halls  stored  with  rejected  models,  will 
realize  that  our  mechanics  have  great  need  of  this  aid. 

The  farmer  is  also  enriched  by  increasing  the  knowledge  and 
power  of  the  mechanic.  Mechanism,  as  applied  to  agriculture, 
was  the  great  motive  power  which  enabled  the  American  farmers 
to  feed  the  nation  while  it  was  struggling  for  existence  against  the 
late  wicked  rebellion,  and  it  will  enable  them  to  pay  the  vast 
debts  incurred  by  the  nation  while  crushing  that  rebellion.  This 
is  an  inviting  field  in  which  we  must  labor  most  earnestly.  The 


A   BEGINNING.  2OI 

mechanic  should  cease  the  fruitless  effort  "  to  bore  an  auger  hole 
with  a  gimlet." 

I  desire  that  this  shall  prove  to  be  the  beginning  of  an  institu- 
tion which  shall  furnish  better  means  for  the  culture  of  all  men,  of 
every  calling,  of  every  aim  ;  which  shall  make  men  more  truthful, 
more  honest,  more  virtuous,  more  noble,  more  manly ;  which 
shall  give  them  higher  purposes,  and  more  lofty  aims,  qualifying 
them  to  serve  their  fellow- men  better,  preparing  them  to  serve 
society  better,  training  them  to  be  more  useful  in  their  rela- 
tions to  the  State,  and  to  better  comprehend  their  higher  and 
holier  relations  to  their  families  and  their  God.  It  shall  be  our 
aim  and  our  constant  effort  to  make  true  Christian  men,  with- 
out dwarfing,  or  paring  them  down  to  fit  the  narrow  gauge  of 
any  sect. 

Finally,  I  trust  we  have  laid  the  foundation  of  an  University — 
"  an  institution  where  any  person  can  find  instruction  in  any 
study." 

Such  have  been  our  purposes.  In  that  direction  we  have  put 
forth  our  efforts,  and  on  the  future  of  such  an  institution  we  rest 
our  hopes.  If  we  have  been  successful  in  our  beginning,  to  that 
extent  and  no  further  may  we  hope  to  be  encouraged  by  the  award 
of  your  approval.  We  have  purposed  that  the  finishing  shall  be 
the  work  of  the  future,  and  we  ask  that  its  approval  or  condem- 
nation shall  rest  upon  the  quality  of  its  maturing  fruit. 

To  take  the  leadership  of  this  great  work,  we  have  selected  a 
gentleman  and  a  scholar,  who,  though  young  in  years,  we  present 
before  you  to-day  for  inauguration,  with  entire  confidence  that 
the  "  right  man  is  in  the  right  place." 

We  have  also  selected  a  faculty  which,  I  trust,  will  very  soon 
convince  you  that  we  have  not  thus  early  in  the  enterprise  com- 
menced blundering.  They  are  in  the  main  young  men,  and  they 
are  quite  content  to  be  judged  by  their  works. 

Invoking  the  blessing  of  Heaven  upon  our  undertaking,  we  com- 
mend our  cause  to  the  scrutiny  and  the  judgment  of  the  American 
people. 


202  EZRA    CORNELL. 

INAUGURAL  ADDRESS  OF  PRESIDENT  WHITE. 

Six  years  ago,  in  the  most  bitter  hour  of  the  Republic,  in 
her  last  hour,  as  many  thought,  amid  most  desperate  measures 
of  war,  the  councils  of  the  United  States  gave  thought  and  work 
to  a  far-reaching  measure  of  peace.  They  made  provision  for  a 
new  system  of  advanced  education  ;  they  cut  this  system  loose 
from  some  old  ideas  under  which  education  had  been  groaning  ; 
they  grafted  into  it  some  new  ideas  for  which  education  had  been 
longing  ;  they  so  arranged  it  that  every  State  might  enjoy  it ; 
they  imposed  but  few  general  conditions,  and  these  grounded  in 
right  reason  ;  they  fettered  it  with  no  unworthy  special  conditions  ; 
they  planned  it  broadly  ;  they  endowed  it  munificently. 

This  is  one  of  the  great  things  in  American  history — nay,  one 
of  the  great  things  in  the  world  history.  In  all  the  annals  of  re- 
publics, there  is  no  more  significant  utterance  of  confidence  in 
national  destiny  out  from  the  midst  of  national  calamity. 

Four  years  ago,  war  still  raging,  a  citizen  of  this  State,  an  arti- 
san who  had  wrought  his  way  to  wealth,  but  who,  in  wealth,  for- 
got not  the  labors  and  longings  of  poverty,  offered  to  supplement 
this  public  gift  with  a  private  gift  no  less  munificent.  He  alloyed 
it  with  no  whimseys,  he  fettered  it  with  no  crotchets ;  he  simply 
asked  that  his  bounty  might  carry  out  a  plan  large  and  fair. 

Three  years  ago  the  State  of  New  York,  after  some  groping,  ac- 
cepted these  gifts,  refused  to  scatter  and  waste  them,  concentra- 
ted them  in  a  single  effort  for  higher  education,  and  fixed  on  a 
system  of  competitive  examinations  to  bring  under  the  direct  ad- 
vantages of  this  education  the  most  worthy  students  in  every  cor- 
ner of  her  domain.  Six  months  afterward  the  authorities  to  whom 
the  new  effort  was  entrusted  met  in  this  pleasant  village.  Among 
them  were  the  highest  officers  of  the  State.  He  who  had  offered 
the  private  endowment  appeared  before  them.  He  not  only  re- 
deemed his  promise — he  did  more — he  added  to  it  princely  gifts 
which  he  had  not  promised  ;  more  than  that,  his  earnest  manner 
showed  that  he  was  about  to  give  something  more  precious  by  far 
— his  whole  life.  So  was  founded  the  Cornell  University. 


INAUGURAL  ADDRESS.  203 

Months  followed,  and  this  same  man  did  for  the  State  what  she 
could  not  do  for  herself;  he  applied  all  his  shrewdness  and  energy 
to  placing  the  endowment  from  the  United  States  on  a  better 
footing.  Other  States  had  sold  the  scrip  with  which  they  were 
endowed  at  rates  ruinously  low  ;  the  founder  of  this  University 
aided  the  State  to  make  such  an  investment  that  its  endowment 
developed  in  far  larger  measure  than  the  most  sanguine  ever 
dared  hope. 

Such,  gentlemen  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  fellow-citizens, 
are  the  simple  landmarks  in  the  progress  of  this  institution  hith- 
erto— not  to  weary  you  with  a  long  detail  of  minor  labors  and 
trials  ;  such  is  the  history  in  the  chronological  order,  the  order 
of  facts. 


Proceeding  thence  to  review  the  work  thus  far 
accomplished,  and  discussing  at  considerable 
length  the  theory  of  organization  and  the  plans 
of  operation  which  were  to  direct  and  govern 
the  conduct  of  the  institution,  the  President  con- 
cluded as  follows : 

Gentlemen  of  the  Faculty  ;  After  this  imperfect  suggestion  of 
the  ideas  underlying,  forming,  permeating  our  work,  I  appeal  to 
you.  The  task  before  us  is  difficult.  It  demands  hard  thought, 
hard  work.  You  will  be  called  upon  to  exercise  skill,  energy,  and 
forbearance.  The  faculty  of  this  institution  is  the  last  place  in 
the  world  for  a  man  of  mere  dignity  or  of  elegant  ease. 

But  if  the  toil  be  great,  the  reward  also  is  great.  It  is  the  re- 
ward which  the  successful  professor  so  prizes — the  sight  of  men 
made  strong  for  the  true,  the  beautiful,  and  the  good  through  your 
help.  The  petty  vanity  of  official  station  too  often  corrodes  what 
is  best  in  man  ;  the  pride  of  wealth  is  poverty  indeed  for  heart, 
or  soul,  or  mind  ;  but  the  honest  pride  of  the  university  instructor, 


204  EZRA    CORNELL. 

seeing  his  treasures  in  noble  scholars  within  the  university  and 
noble  men  outside  its  halls,  is  something  far  more  worthy. 

Said  St.  Felippo  Neri  as  he,  day  after  day,  came  to  the  door  of 
the  college  at  Rome  at  the  time  when  the  English  scholars  passed 
out,  young  men  who  were  to  be  persecuted  and  put  to  death  under 
the  cruel  laws  of  Elizabeth  of  England,  "  I  am  come  to  feast  my 
eyes  on  those  martyrs  yonder." 

So  may  each  of  us  feast  our  eyes  on  scholars,  writers,  revealers 
of  nature,  leaders  in  art,  statesmen,  who  shall  go  in  and  out  of 
yonder  halls. 

Let  us  labor  in  this  spirit.  The  work  of  every  one  of  us,  even 
of  those  who  deal  with  material  forces,  is  a  moral  work.  Henry 
Thomas  Buckley  was  doubtless  wrong  in  the  small  weight  he  as- 
cribed to  moral  forces,  but  he  was  doubtless  right  in  his  high 
estimate  of  the  moral  value  of  material  forces.  He  found  but  half 
the  truth  ;  let  us  recognize  the  whole  truth ;  let  it  be  full-orbed. 
Every  professor  who  works  to  increase  material  welfare  acts  to 
increase  moral  welfare. 

I  ask  your  aid  as  advisers,  as  friends.  Let  us  hold  ourselves  in 
firm  phalanx  for  truth  and  against  error. 

To  you  also,  who  appear  in  the  first  classes  of  students  of  the 
Cornell  University  : — You  have  had  the  faith  and  courage  to  cast  in 
your  lot  with  a  new  institution  ;  you  have  preferred  its  roughness 
to  the  smoothness  of  more  venerable  organizations  ;  you  have  not 
feared  to  aid  in  an  experiment,  knowing  that  there  must  be  some 
groping  and  some  stumbling.  I  will  not  ask  you  to  be  true  to  us. 
I  will  ask  you  to  be  true  to  yourselves.  In  Heaven's  name,  be 
men.  Is  it  not  time  that  some  poor  student  traditions  be  sup- 
planted by  better  ?  You  are  not  here  to  be  made  ;  you  are  here 
to  make  yourselves.  You  are  not  here  to  hang  upon  an  Uni- 
versity ;  you  are  here  to  help  build  an  University.  This  is  no 
place  for  children's  tricks  and  toys,  for  exploits  which  only  excite 
the  wonderment  of  boarding-school  misses.  You  are  here  to  be- 
gin a  man's  work  in  the  greatest  time  and  land  the  world  has  yet 
known.  I  bid  you  take  hold,  take  hold  with  the  National  Con- 
gress, with  the  State  authorities,  with  Ezra  Cornell,  with  the  trus- 


A  MONUMENT.  205 

tees,  with  the  faculty,  to  build  here,  by  manly  conduct  and  by 
study,  an  University  which  shall  be  your  pride.  You  are  part  of 
it.  From  your  midst  are  to  come  its  trustees,  professors.  Look 
to  it  that  you  be  ready  for  your  responsibilities. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Trustees  :  In  accepting  to-day,  formally,  the 
trust  which  for  two  years  I  have  discharged  really,  I  desire  to 
thank  you  for  your  steady  co-operation  and  support  in  the  past, 
and  ask  its  continuance. 

You  well  know  the  trust  was  not  sought  by  me.  You  well  know 
with  what  misgivings  it  was  accepted.  In  the  utmost  sincerity  I 
say  that  it  will  be  the  greatest  happiness  of  my  life  to  be  able,  at 
some  day  not  remote,  to  honorably  resign  it  into  hands  worthier 
and  stronger  than  my  own. 

Not  a  shadow  of  discord  has  ever  disturbed  our  relations.  Per- 
mit me  to  ask  for  my  brothers  in  the  faculty  the  same  cordiality 
which  you  have  extended  to  me. 

You  have  been  pleased  to  express  satisfaction  with  my  adminis- 
tration thus  far  ;  I  trust  that  with  this  aid  the  work  may  be 
better. 

And,  in  conclusion,  to  you,  our  honored  Founder  :  I  may  not 
intrude  here  my  own  private  gratitude  for  kindnesses  innumerable. 
Sturdily  and  steadily  you  have  pressed  on  this  enterprise,  often 
against  discouragement,  sometimes  against  obloquy.  But  the 
people  of  this  great  commonwealth  have  stood  by  you.  Evidences 
of  it  are  seen  in  a  thousand  forms,  but  at  this  moment  most  of  all 
in  the  number  of  their  sons  who  have  come  to  enjoy  your  bounty. 

You  were  once  publicly  charged  with  a  high  crime.  It  was  de- 
clared that  you  "  sought  to  erect  a  great  monument"  for  yourself. 

Sir,  would  to  heaven  that  more  of  our  citizens  might  seek  to 
rear  monuments  such  as  this  of  yours.  They  are,  indeed,  lasting. 
The  names  chiselled  in  granite  in  the  days  of  Elihu  Yale  and  John 
Harvard  have  been  effaced,  but  Yale  and  Harvard  bear  aloft  for- 
ever the  names  of  their  founders.  The  ordinary  great  men  of 
days  gone  by,  the  holders  of  high  office,  the  leaders  of  rank — who 
remembers  their  names  now  ?  Who  does  not  remember  the 
names  of  founders  or  benefactors  of  our  universities  ?  Harvard 


206  EZRA    CORNELL. 

and  Yale,  Dartmouth  and  Bowdoin,  Brown  and  Amherst,  all  an- 
swer this  question. 

The  names  of  Packer,  Vassar,  Cooper,  Wells,  Cornell,  they 
are  solidly  rooted  in  what  shall  stand  longest  in  this  nation.  They 
shall  see  a  vast  expanse  of  mushroom  names  go  down,  but  theirs 
shall  remain  forever.  Their  benefactions  lift  them  into  the  view 
of  all  men. 

But,  sir,  I  will  bear  testimony  here  that  your  name  was  never 
thrust  forward  by  yourself.  You  care  little,  indeed,  what  any  man 
thinks  of  you  or  of  your  actions,  but  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  state  that  you 
were  preparing  to  deal  munificently  with  the  institution  under  a 
different  name,  when  another  insisted  that  your  own  name  should 
be  given  it. 

It  has  happened  to  me  to  see  your  persistence,  your  energy,  and 
your  sincerity  tested.  We  have  been  too  much  together  for  me  to 
flatter  you  now,  but  I  will  say  to  your  fellow-citizens  that  no  man 
ever  showed  greater  energy  in  piling  up  a  fortune  for  himself  than 
you  have  shown  to  heap  up  this  benefaction  for  your  countrymen. 
You  have  given  yourself  to  it. 

Therefore,  in  the  name  of  this  commonwealth,  and  this  nation, 
I  thank  you.  I  know  that  I  am  as  really  empowered  to  do  so  in 
their  behalf  as  if  I  held  their  most  formal  credentials.  I  thank 
you  for  those  present,  for  those  to  come.  May  you  be  long  spared 
to  us.  May  this  be  a  monument  which  shall  make  earnest  men 
more  earnest,  and  despondent  men  take  heart.  May  there  ever 
rest  upon  it  the  approval  of  good  men.  Above  all,  may  it  have 
the  blessing  of  God. 

The  generous  example  of  the  founder  of  the 
Cornell  University  speedily  promoted  in  others  an 
ambition  to  assist  in  the  great  work  of  building 
up  and  developing  the  institution  which  he  loved 
so  well.  John  McGraw,  of  Ithaca,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal trustees,  erected  at  his  individual  expense 


BENEFACTORS.  2O/ 

the  McGraw  Building.  This  noble  edifice,  which 
accommodates  the  library  and  museum  of  the  Uni- 
versity, cost  about  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars. Hiram  Sibley,  of  Rochester,  also  an  orig- 
inal trustee,  provided  the  handsome  building  and 
equipment  for  the  college  of  mechanic  arts,  at  an 
expense  of  more  than  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
President  White  built  out  of  his  own  private  for- 
tune, at  the  cost  of  more  than  sixty  thousand 
dollars,  a  very  elegant  residence  for  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  University.  May  it  be  many  long 
years  before  he  shall  feel  constrained  to  surrender 
it  to  his  successor.  Henry  W.  Sage,  now  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  University, 
has  contributed  more  than  three  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  for  the  building  and  endowment  of 
Sage  College,  and  for  the  erection  of  the  beauti- 
ful chapel  on  the  campus,  as  well  as  the  exten- 
sive conservatories  for  the  botanical  department. 

These  gentlemen  have  also  at  different  times 
advanced  large  sums  for  various  important  ne- 
cessities of  the  institution.  Dean  Sage,  of  Al- 
bany, furnished  a  permanent  endowment  for 
the  Sage  Chapel,  from  the  income  of  which  the 
most  eminent  clergymen  in  the  entire  country,  of 
all  denominations,  are  engaged  to  conduct  reli- 
gious services  each  sabbath  during  the  school 
term.  Thus  the  students  have  the  extraordinary 


208  EZRA    CORNELL. 

privilege,  quite  unequalled  elsewhere,  of  having 
presented  before  them,  each  year,  twenty  or  more 
of  the  most  distinguished  pulpit  orators  of  Amer- 
ica. These  services  are  largely  attended,  not 
only  by  students,  but  also  by  citizens  of  Ithaca. 

Miss  Jennie  McGraw  presented  a  chime  of  bells, 
which  were  placed  in  the  tower  of  the  McGraw 
Building.  She  also  made  large  bequests  to  the 
University,  in  her  will,  but  at  the  present  time  the 
right  to  receive  these  bequests  is  being  contested 
before  the  Surrogate  by  the  person  to  whom  she 
was  married  in  the  last  year  of  her  life.  Other 
contributions,  large  and  small,  have  also  been 
made  by  many  other  persons.  The  combined 
offerings  of  all  these  generous  benefactors,  add- 
ed to  the  other  revenues  of  the  institution,  have 
enabled  the  management  to  make  many  valuable 
improvements. 

Within  the  past  year  a  physical  laboratory  has 
been  completed  and  brought  into  use,  which,  for 
superior  excellence  in  all  of  its  details  and  for  the 
completeness  of  its  equipments  is  claimed  to  be 
equal  to  any  in  this  country  or  Europe.  A  large 
and  handsome  building,  serving  the  double  pur- 
pose of  an  armory  and  drill-room  for  the  military 
department,  and  for  general  assemblies  and  com- 
mencement exercises,  has  also  recently  been  com- 
pleted, and  adds  very  much  to  the  necessary  con- 


SAGE  COLLEGE.  209 

veniences  of  the  institution.  In  connection  with 
the  last-named  building-  there  has  also  been  pro- 
vided a  very  complete  gymnasium,  with  every 
appliance  for  physical  culture  and  healthful  exer- 
cise. 

THE  SAGE  COLLEGE. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  enterprise  for 
the  establishment  of  the  Cornell  University,  it 
was  the  hope  and  expectation  of  Mr.  Cornell  that 
provision  should  be  made  for  the  education  of 
women  on  a  perfect  equality  with  the  male  stu- 
dents. President  White  was  also  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  this  idea,  but  it  was  his  opinion  that 
some  special  facilities  should  be  provided  before 
this  condition  could  be  properly  announced.  Con- 
forming to  his  judgment  in  this  respect,  no  refer- 
ence was  made  to  the  subject  of  co-education  in 
the  report  of  the  plan  of  organization,  nor  in  the 
official  prospectus  of  the  University. 

The  founder,  however,  made  reference  to  his 
own  anticipation  and  desire  in  this  direction,  in 
his  address  at  the  opening  of  the  University. 
The  unexpectedly  large  attendance  of  male  stud- 
ents at  the  very  outset,  however,  taxed  to  the  ut- 
most all  of  the  facilities  which  had  been  provided, 
or  that  the  financial  resources  of  the  institution 
were  sufficient  to  furnish,  and  the  subject  of  pro- 
M 


210  EZRA    CORNELL. 

viding  for  female  students  was  allowed  to  lie 
dormant  for  the  first  two  years  of  practical  opera- 
tions. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the 
University,  in  June,  1871,  a  proposition  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Hon.  Henry  W.  Sage,  offering  to 
contribute  $250,000,  one-half  to  be  used  for  the 
erection  of  an  edifice  for  the  accommodation  of 
female  students,  and  the  other  half  to  be  invested 
as  a  special  endowment  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  building,  on  condition  that  women  should 
be  admitted  to  all  of  the  departments  of  the 
University  on  equal  terms  with  the  male  students. 

Some  of  the  trustees  were  outspoken  in  their 
opposition  to  the  admission  of  women  on  any 
terms  whatever,  but  the  offer  of  Mr.  Sage  was 
referred  to  a  special  committee  for  consideration 
and  report.  After  a  thorough  investigation  of 
the  subject,  President  White,  on  behalf  of  a  ma- 
jority of  the  committee,  submitted  to  the  board  of 
trustees,  in  February,  1872,  an  elaborate  and  ex- 
haustive report  recommending  "  that  Mr.  Sage's 
gift  be  accepted  on  the  conditions  named  by  him, 
and  that  the  establishment  created  under  it  be 
known  as  the  Sage  College  of  Cornell  Univer- 
sity." 

This  report  was  adopted  by  the  board  of 
trustees  by  nearly  an  unanimous  vote.  A  plan  of 


HIGHER  STANDARD.  211 

the  building  was  perfected,  and  preparations  for 
its  erection  were  instituted  during  the  ensuing 
year.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  with  interest- 
ing ceremonies,  May  15,  1873,  including  addresses 
by  President  White,  Mr.  Sage,  Mr.  Cornell, 
Chancellor  Winchell,  of  Syracuse  University,  Pro- 
fessor Tyler,  Professor  Goldwin  Smith,  Professor 
Sprague,  and  President  Angell,  of  the  University 
of  Michigan.  The  edifice,  which  was  completed 
the  following  year,  is  one  of  the  most  elegant  and 
imposing  college  buildings  in  the  country,  and  is 
in  every  respect  most  admirably  adapted  to  the 
purposes  for  which  it  is  designed.  It  forms  a  no- 
ble addition  to  the  grand  collection  of  buildings 
which  have  been  erected  for  the  use  of  the  Uni- 
versity, and  is  a  monument  which  does  great  credit 
to  the  generous  instincts  of  its  liberal  hearted 
patron. 

In  each  succeeding  year  of  the  progress  of  the 
University  its  standard  of  scholarship  has  been 
constantly  raised.  The  qualifications  requisite  for 
admission  have  been  placed  higher  and  higher  each 
year,  in  order  that  only  those  should  be  accepted 
who  could  give  reasonable  promise  of  success- 
fully completing  the  University  course  and  reach- 
ing their  degrees.  The  departments,  or  special 
courses  of  instruction  have  been  augmented  from 
nine  to  fourteen,  and  the  faculty  now  embraces 


212  EZRA    CORNELL. 

more  than  fifty  persons,  as  follows :  Non-resident 
Professors,  five ;  Resident  Professors,  twenty- 
five  ;  Associate  Professors,  four ;  Assistant  Pro- 
fessors, twelve  ;  Instructors,  six ;  Curators,  Fore- 
men, and  other  subordinate  officers,  nine.  The 
library  has  advanced  until  it  now  contains  about 
forty-six  thousand  volumes,  besides  fourteen  thou- 
sand pamphlets.  The  various  collections  have 
also  largely  increased,  and  now  embrace  the  ne- 
cessary material  for  illustration  in  almost  every 
branch  of  study  and  research. 

Probably  no  college  or  university  ever  attained 
such  prominence  and  standing  among  the  estab- 
lished institutions  of  the  whole  country  in  such 
short  time  as  the  Cornell  University.  In  some 
respects,  perhaps,  this  was  unfortunate,  as  it 
aroused  expectations  beyond  the  facilities  of  a 
new  and  undeveloped  institution.  With  all  of  the 
wealth  that  has  been  so  generously  lavished  upon 
it,  the  trustees  have  never  yet,  in  any  year,  been 
able  to  respond  to  nearly  all  the  calls  made  upon 
them  for  means  to  provide  the  facilities  which 
have  been  demanded.  Despite  every  embar- 
rassment, however,  the  progress  in  nearly  every 
important  department  has  certainly  been  most 
gratifying.  In  every  competition  with  the  chosen 
representatives  of  other  colleges,  whether  in 
intellectual  contests  or  in  athletic  sports,  the 


GRAND  RESULTS.  21 3 

Cornell  University  has  carried  away  its  full  share 
of  honors.  In  every  field  of  professional  and 
scientific  activity  the  graduates  of  Cornell  are 
achieving-  honorable  repute  and  adding  lustre  to 
the  name  of  their  Alma  Mater. 

Although  only  now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  prac- 
tical operation,  Cornell  University  has  already 
sent  forth  about  one  thousand  graduates,  who 
are  taking  high  rank  in  the  communities  in  which 
they  have  located.  This  is  especially  true  in  ref- 
erence to  those  graduating  from  the  departments 
of  civil  engineering  and  architecture.  While,  per- 
haps, students  in  other  departments  are  equally 
well  equipped  in  their  specialties,  the  demand  for 
services  in  these  particular  vocations  seems  to 
offer  better  opportunities  for  graduates  than  other 
professions.  In  public  life  the  graduates  of  Cor- 
nell have  already  made  gratifying  progress.  Since 
the  year  1876  no  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New 
York  has  assembled  which  did  not  contain  on  its 
list  of  members  from  one  to  four  of  the  graduates 
of  the  University;  while  in  other  representative 
capacities  they  are  found  to  occupy  a  fair  share  of 
public  favor. 

The  purpose  of  the  founder  of  Cornell  Univer- 
sity was  expressed  by  himself  on  one  occasion  in 
these  words:  "  I  would  found  an  institution  where 
any  person  can  find  instruction  in  any  study." 


214  EZRA    CORNELL. 

This  comprehensive  declaration,  terse  in  words 
and  pregnant  with  ideas,  was  chosen  by  the  trus- 
tees as  the  motto  of  the  institution,  and  placed  on 
the  official  seal  of  the  University,  there  to  remain 
as  a  constant  reminder  of  the  noble  aims  and 
high  hopes  of  him  who  gave  the  best  labors  of  his 
life  to  the  successful  establishment  of  this  benefi- 
cent institution.  May  these  simple  but  expressive 
words  inspire  all  who  are  or  may  hereafter  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  administration  of  its  affairs,  to  the 
highest  possible  endeavors  toward  the  attainment 
of  the  object  which  was  so  dear  to  their  revered 
and  honored  founder.  The  work  which  he  planned 
with  so  much  wisdom,  and  which  he  labored  so 
diligently  and  unselfishly  to  promote,  remains  for 
them  to  carry  forward  toward  ultimate  success. 
May  his  example  be  emulated  by  those  who  fol- 
low in  the  course  marked  out  by  him. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    CORNELL    UNIVERSITY.— THE    LAND    GRANT 

FUND. 

Conditions  of  the  Appropriation. — Depreciation  in  Value  of  Land 
Scrip  — Prospects  of  Meagre  Endowment. — Mr.  Cornell  Vol- 
unteers to  Locate  Public  Lands  for  Benefit  of  the  University. 
— Contract  with  the  Comptroller. — Immense  Labors. — Large 
Advances. — Gratuitous  Services. — Serious  Illness. — Contract 
Transferred  to  University  Authorities. — Successful  Realiza- 
tion.— Traducers. — Vilification. — Cruel  Misrepresentations. — 
Official  Investigation. — Complete  Vindication. 

THE  donation  of  public  lands  made  by  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States  to  the  several  States 
and  Territories  of  the  Union  was  explicitly  dedi- 
cated, by  the  terms  of  the  enactment,  "  to  the  en- 
dowment, support,  and  maintenance  of  at  least 
one  college,  where  the  leading  object  shall  be, 
without  excluding  other  scientific  and  classical 
studies,  and  including  military  tactics,  to  teach 
such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related  to  agri- 
culture and  the  mechanic  arts,  in  such  manner  as 
the  Legislatures  of  the  States  may  respectively 
prescribe,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal  and 
practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in 


2l6  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  several  pursuits  and  professions  of  life."  This 
measure,  introduced  by  the  Hon.  Justin  S.  Morrill, 
of  Vermont,  and  approved  by  President  Lincoln 
July  2,  1862,  granted  to  each  State  a  quantity  of 
public  land  equal  to  thirty  thousand  acres  for  each 
Senator  and  Representative  in  Congress  to  which 
the  States  were  respectively  entitled  by  the  ap- 
portionment under  the  census  of  1860.  The  total 
amount  of  land  required  to  meet  this  appropriation 
was  nine  million  four  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
acres,  of  which  the  proportion  belonging  to  the 
State  of  New  York  was  nine  hundred  and  ninety 
thousand  acres. 

The  nominal  valuation  of  the  public  lands,  fixed 
by  the  United  States,  is  one  dollar  and  a  quar- 
ter per  acre,  but,  unfortunately,  in  this  act,  while 
the  States  were  required  to  sell  their  scrip,  there 
was  no  price  named  in  any  way  limiting  the  sum  to 
be  realized  for  such  sales.  The  inevitable  conse- 
quence of  this  oversight  was  to  speedily  depre- 
ciate the  value  of  land  scrip,  and  the  large  quan- 
tities offering  by  the  several  States  continued  to 
depress  current  quotations.  The  Comptroller  of 
New  York  received  the  share  to  which  the  State 
was  entitled,  in  1864.  The  market  value  of  the 
land  at  that  time  was  about  eighty-five  cents  per 
acre,  which  was  the  price  fixed  by  the  State  offi- 
cers for  its  sale.  At  that  price  seventy-six  thou- 


THE  LAND  SCRIP.  217 

sand  acres  were  sold  in  1864,  the  avails  of  which 
had  been  received  by  the  Comptroller,  and  by  him 
invested  for  the  trust  designated,  prior  to  the  en- 
actment of  the  charter  of  the  Cornell  University, 
April  27,  1865.  At  that  date  the  selling  price  of 
land  warrants  had  fallen  to  about  fifty  cents  per 
acre,  with  the  prospect  that  the  offering  of  any 
considerable  amount  would  still  further  reduce  the 
current  value. 

It  was  apparent,  therefore,  that  if  the  remainder 
were  to  be  sold  at  the  best  available  market  rate, 
the  entire  proceeds  of  the  Land  Grant  Fund 
would  amount  to  only  about  $500,000.  It  was 
Mr.  Cornell's  belief  that  if  the  warrants  could  be 
located  on  well-selected  timber  lands  in  some  of 
the  Western  States,  a  much  larger  sum  could  be 
realized  from  the  advance  in  the  value  of  lands  so 
secured.  He  found,  as  the  result  of  careful  in- 
quiry, that  the  location  of  desirable  public  lands 
well  covered  with  pine  timber,  had  been  uni- 
formly successful. 

By  the  terms  of  the  Congressional  act,  no  State 
could  itself  locate  public  lands  within  another 
State,  and  as  there  were  no  federal  lands  within 
this  State,  no  disposition  of  the  grant  was  avail- 
able but  the  actual  sale  of  the  scrip.  Mr.  Cor- 
nell endeavored  to  induce  the  trustees  of  the 
University  to  purchase  it  from  the  State,  and 


2l8  EZRA    CORNELL. 

locate  the  lands  directly  for  the  benefit  of  the  in- 
stitution, offering  himself  to  advance  the  money 
necessary  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  examina- 
tion and  location  of  the  lands. 

The  University,  however,  had  no  revenue  be- 
yond the  requirements  for  its  current  necessary 
expenditures,  and  the  trustees  felt  unwilling  to  en- 
cumber themselves  with  the  burden  of  annual  ex- 
penses and  local  taxation  which  would  be  in- 
volved by  that  course.  This  was  probably  a 
wise  decision,  in  view  of  the  subsequent  history  of 
the  enterprise,  as  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
they  would  have  been  induced  to  sell  the  lands  to 
relieve  themselves  from  their  financial  burden  too 
soon  to  realize  the  full  measure  of  benefit  which, 
under  other  circumstances,  finally  accrued  to  the 
University  from  this  source. 

Finding,  at  last,  that  there  was  no  other  avail- 
able mode  of  saving  to  the  cause  of  education 
the  great  value  which  he  felt  sure  could  be  real- 
ized from  the  Land  Grant  by  its  proper  treat- 
ment, Mr.  Cornell  made  a  proposition  to  the 
Comptroller,  offering  to  purchase  the  scrip  at 
sixty  cents  per  acre,  (payable  one-half  down,  and 
the  balance  when  realized  from  sales,)  locate  the 
land  at  his  own  expense,  pay  the  local  taxes  and 
other  necessary  expenses,  and  obligate  himself  to 
pay  into  the  State  treasury,  for  the  benefit  of  the 


A   PREDICTION.  2 19 

Cornell  University,  the  entire  profits  to  be  realized 
from  the  sale  of  the  lands  thus  located.  In  his  let- 
ter to  the  Comptroller,  under  date  June  9,  1866, 
tendering  this  proposition,  Mr.  Cornell  estimated 
that  a  clear  profit  could  be  realized,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  University,  of  at  least  $1,600,000  above 
and  beyond  the  sixty  cents  per  acre  to  be  paid 
into  the  State  Treasury  to  the  credit  of  the  Col- 
lege Land  Scrip  Fund.  With  the  concurrence  of 
the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  the  Comptroller  accepted  the  prop- 
osition, and  entered  into  a  formal  contract  with 
Mr.  Cornell  on  the  basis  stated,  which  was  duly 
executed  in  the  month  of  September,  1866. 

To  those  familiar  with  the  details  of  selecting 
and  locating  public  lands,  the  magnitude  of  the 
undertaking  of  thus  handling  eight  hundred  thou- 
sand acres  will  be  readily  understood.  For  the 
information  of  others  not  thus  familiar,  it  may 
briefly  be  stated  that  it  was  first  necessary  to  in- 
spect, by  the  personal  examination  of  a  trusted 
agent,  each  section  of  land  available  for  location, 
and  estimate  the  quantity  of  standing  timber  con- 
tained thereon,  in  order  to  secure  the  selection  of 
lands  of  desirable  value.  Within  the  first  year  of 
these  operations,  Mr.  Cornell  disbursed  more 
than  $200,000  on  account  of  the  expenses  inci- 
dent to  the  location  of  the  land  scrip,  and  on  Sep- 


220  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tember  30,  1874,  he  had  advanced  for  the  pur- 
chase of  warrants  and  expense  of  location,  for 
local  taxes  and  other  expenditures  for  the  neces- 
sary protection  of  the  lands  from  depredation,  be- 
yond what  was  received  for  lands  and  timber 
sold,  the  large  amount  of  $525,082.77.  Of  the 
lands  selected  for  location  much  the  largest  por- 
tion, probably  seven-eighths  of  the  whole  amount, 
consisted  of  the  pine  timber  lands  of  Wisconsin, 
and  the  balance  was  superior  farming  land  in 
Minnesota  and  Kansas. 

In  the  spring  of  1874  Mr.  Cornell  was  suddenly 
prostrated  with  severe  illness,  in  consequence  of 
which  he  was  for  many  months  confined  to  his 
room,  and  wholly  incapacitated  from  giving  atten- 
tion to  business  affairs.  He  had  overtaxed  his 
usually  robust  constitution  by  the  extraordinary 
labors  with  which  he  had  for  years  burdened  him- 
self in  the  interests  of  the  University,  and  when 
exhausted  by  the  effects  of  a  protracted  and  pain- 
ful illness,  he  lacked  the  necessary  vitality  for  res- 
toration to  health  and  strength.  His  physician 
imperatively  urged  that  he  must  be  relieved  from 
the  cares  of  business  as  a  condition  of  possible 
recovery. 

He  was,  therefore,  finally  constrained  to  ask 
the  trustees  of  the  University  to  relieve  him  from 
further  service  in  the  Land  Grant  enterprise,  and  to 


CONTRACT  TRANSFERRED.  221 

take  upon  themselves  the  responsibility  of  carry- 
ing out  the  provisions  of  the  contract  with  the 
State.  Mr.  Cornell  had  borne  the  weight  of  .this 
great  undertaking,  taxing  both  his  financial  re- 
sources and  his  physical  strength  for  a  period  of 
eight  long  years,  and  it  only  now  remained  for 
the  trustees  to  patiently  await  the  fruition  of  his 
wise  foresight  and  unselfish  labors.  The  lands 
were  rapidly  appreciating  in  value,  and  there  was 
every  promise  of  abundant  reward  in  the  ultimate 
profits  to  be  realized  by  the  University.  The 
commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  approved  the 
proposed  transfer  of  the  contract  to  the  board  of 
trustees,  which  was  finally  accomplished  in  the 
month  of  November,  1874,  a  few  weeks  prior  to 
the  lamented  death  of  the  founder.  The  same  gen- 
eral policy  of  management  which  had  been  pur- 
sued by  Mr.  Cornell  in  the  administration  of  the 
trust  was  continued  by  the  University  authorities. 
The  derangement  and  prostration  of  business 
affairs  following  the  great  financial  crisis  of  1873 
was  wide-spread  and  long-continued.  In  no  other 
branch  of  business  was  it  more  severely  felt,  prob- 
ably, than  in  the  lumber  trade.  The  cessation  of 
building  operations  curtailed  the  demand  for  lum- 
ber, and  reduced  its  value  below  the  cost  of  manu- 
facture. Owing  to  this  serious  and  protracted  de- 
pression in  the  condition  of  the  lumber  business, 


EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  demand  for  timber  lands  was  limited,  thus 
checking  the  advance  in  the  value  of  this  class 
of  property,  which  had  been  very  marked  prior  to 
the  transfer  of  the  Land  Grant  contract  to  the 
University. 

For  some  years  subsequent  to  that  event, 
sales  of  the  lands  were  slow,  but  sufficient  to 
furnish  means  with  which  to  provide  for  the  ex- 
penses of  carrying  the  lands  without  resort  to 
other  resources.  The  final  exhaustion  of  other 
sources  of  timber  supply,  however,  soon  brought 
the  valuable  lands  of  Wisconsin  more  especially  to 
the  attention  of  buyers,  and  when  renewed  pros- 
perity of  the  country  began  to  manifest  itself,  as  it 
did  in  1880,  the  demand  for  the  University  lands 
became  active  and  strong,  and  large  sales  were 
effected  at  prices  which  were  very  gratifying. 
The  aggregate  sales  of  these  lands,  which  had 
been  effected  down  to  the  close  of  1882,  amounted 
to  about  three  million  seven  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  The  total  expenses  for  location,  local 
taxes,  interest,  and  care  of  lands,  including  the 
cost  of  the  land  scrip,  were  in  the  vicinity  of  one 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  thus  show- 
ing profits  accruing  to  the  University  of  about  two 
million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  while  there 
still  remain  unsold,  lands  which  will  yield  several 
hundred  thousand  dollars  to  be  added  thereto. 


SUCCESSFUL   REALIZATION.  223 

Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  the  Hon. 
Henry  W.  Sage,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Cornell  as 
the  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  upon 
whom,  since  the  death  of  the  founder,  the  great 
responsibility  of  this  good  work  has  fallen.  He 
was  peculiarly  qualified  for  the  intelligent  and 
sagacious  discharge  of  these  duties,  by  reason  of 
his  previous  successful  experience  in  this  par- 
ticular line  of  business,  extending  over  a  long 
period  of  years.  The  successful  administration  of 
this  great  trust,  and  the  gratifying  results  pro- 
duced by  it,  vindicate  in  the  highest  manner  the 
wisdom  and  foresight  of  Mr.  Cornell  in  project- 
ing the  policy  of  locating  the  lands  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  University. 

Every  dollar  of  profit  realized  for  the  endowment 
of  the  University,  from  the  location  and  sale  of 
public  lands,  was  just  as  positively  contributed  by 
Mr.  Cornell  as  though  it  had  been  paid  out  of  his 
private  fortune.  He  foresaw  the  advantages  to 
be  secured  as  the  result  of  that  policy,  and  he  had 
the  courage  as  well  as  the  disposition  to  undertake 
it  unaided.  He  furnished  the  capital,  amounting 
to  half  a  million  of  dollars,  which  was  indispensa- 
bly necessary  to  carry  the  enterprise  through  to  a 
successful  termination.  Others  were  solicited  to 
render  assistance,  but  none  were  found  willing  to 
make  the  venture.  With  him  it  was  a  work  of 


224  EZRA    CORNELL, 

love,  in  which  he  enlisted  with  all  of  the  charac- 
teristic determination  of  his  personality.  He  is, 
therefore,  to  be  credited,  including  his  direct  con- 
tributions, with  an  aggregate  benefaction  in  be- 
half of  the  University  of  at  least  three  and  a  half 
millions  of  dollars.  This  magnificent  endowment 
will  place  the  Cornell  University  among  the  two 
or  three  wealthiest  educational  establishments  in 
America,  and  wisely  administered,  there  can 
hardly  be  a  limit  to  the  extent  of  usefulness  which 
will  flow  from  its  operations. 

This  great  work  was  undertaken  by  Mr.  Cor- 
nell without  fee  or  reward.  Neither  he  nor  any 
member  of  his  family  was  to  be  benefited  to  the  ex- 
tent of  a  single  dollar.  It  was  his  original  proposi- 
tion, and  it  was  so  stipulated  in  his  contract  with 
the  Comptroller,  that  every  dollar  of  profit  should 
inure  to  the  exclusive  benefit  of  the  Cornell 
University.  His  services  were  rendered  without 
compensation,  and  he  was  almost  exclusively  en- 
gaged in  the  conduct  of  the  enterprise  for  a  peri- 
od of  nearly  eight  years.  Members  of  his  family 
also  rendered  valuable  service  in  the  details  of  the 
business,  for  which  no  charge  was  ever  made  nor 

O 

compensation  rendered  in  any  form.  Never  was 
a  work  taken  up  and  carried  forward  from  higher 
motives,  nor  with  more  devoted  regard  to  the  in- 
terests involved. 


VILIFICA  TION.  22  S 

Reviewing  these  circumstances  from  this  dis- 
tance, it  is  extremely  difficult  to  realize  how 
malignantly  Mr.  Cornell  was  libelled  and  misrep- 
resented in  reference  to  the  philanthropic  labors 
which  he  had  taken  upon  himself  with  such  un- 
selfish devotion  to  the  public  good.  He  was 
with  coarse  brutality  assailed  in  the  public  press 
and  in  the  halls  of  the  Legislature  by  the  parti- 
sans of  petty  institutions  which  had  endeavored, 
but  failed,  to  secure  the  whole  or  a  portion  of  the 
Land  Grant  income.  He  was  denounced  as  a 
land  grabber  and  a  corruptionist  of  the  worst  kind. 
No  terms  of  obloquy  were  too  vile  to  apply  to 
him,  and  yet  his  only  offence,  in  thought  or  deed, 
was  to  contribute  his  own  money,  with  lavish  hand, 
to  build  up  a  great  college  for  the  people  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  to  save,  for  its  exclusive 
use,  every  possible  dollar  of  the  intrinsic  value 
of  the  princely  domain  granted  by  Congress,  for 
the  benefit  of  agricultural  and  mechanical  educa- 
tion in  the  State. 

These  vile  insinuations,  which,  though  repeat- 
edly demonstrated  to  be  absolutely  without  foun- 
dation, were  reiterated  year  after  year,  in  one  form 
or  another,  until  finally,  in  1873,  the  Legislature  or- 
dered an  investigation  of  the  entire  subject  of  the 
Land  Grant  contract  and  it3  administration,  and 
authorized  the  appointment  of  a  commission  for  that 


226  EZRA    CORNELL. 

purpose,  which  was  directed  to  report  to  the  next 
Legislature.  Governor  Dix  named  as  the  mem- 
bers of  that  commission  Governor  Horatio  Sey- 
mour, Vice-President  William  A.  Wheeler,  and 
Colonel  John  D.  Van  Buren.  They  devoted  sev- 
eral months  to  the  investigation,  giving  the  assail- 
ants of  Mr.  Cornell  the  widest  possible  latitude  to 
enable  them  to  substantiate  their  charges.  The 
result  of  the  investigation  and  the  unanimous  re- 
port of  the  commission  to  the  Legislature  was  in 
all  respects  a  complete  vindication  of  Mr.  Cornell 
and  of  his  administration  of  the  trust  which  had 
been  committed  to  him  by  the  officers  of  the 
State.  The  result  of  this  proceeding  effectually 
silenced  the  slanderers,  and  the  generous  founder 
of  the  University  was  thereafter  permitted  to  de- 
vote himself  to  his  philanthropic  labors  without 
farther  molestation. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

RAILROADS. 

Geographical  Location  of  Ithaca. — Early  Prosperity. — Injured  by 
Railway  Development. — Declining  Importance. — Inaccess- 
ible.— Necessity  for  Additional  Facilities  of  Travel. — Ithaca 
&  Athens  Railroad. — Ithaca  &  Cortland. — Geneva  &  Ithaca. 
— Utica,  Ithaca  &  Elmira. — Bonding  Towns. — Inability  to 
Complete  Roads. — Mr.  Cornell  Undertakes  the  Work. — Fi- 
nancial Crisis,  1873. — Embarrassments. — Fatal  Illness  and 
Death. — Sale  of  Interests. — Great  Losses. — Superb  Facilities 
for  Travel  Provided. 

THE  peculiar  geographical  location  of  Ithaca  has 
at  different  periods  of  its  history  exercised  a  ma- 
terial influence  upon  its  prosperity  and  develop- 
ment as  a  business  centre.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  navigation  of  the  canal  system  of  the  State, 
the  situation  of  Ithaca  at  the  head  of  Cayuga 
Lake,  through  which  connection  with  the  Erie 
Canal  was  secured,  made  it  a  point  of  shipment 
for  the  products  of  a  large  section  of  country,  em- 
bracing the  southern  tier  from  Binghamton  to 
Elmira  and  the  adjacent  northern  counties  in 
Pennsylvania. 

Supplies  of  merchandize  received  by  canal  and 


228  EZRA    CORNELL. 

lake  at  Ithaca  were  distributed  through  this  ex- 
tensive region  by  teams  which  had  brought  lum- 
ber, grain,  and  coal  for  shipment.  In  view  of  the 
magnitude  of  this  traffic,  a  railway — one  of  the 
first  built  in  this  State,  and  indeed  in  this  country 
—was  projected  and  constructed  between  Ithaca 
and  Owego.  This  road — the  first  for  which 
ground  was  broken  within  the  State — with  its 
celebrated  inclined  planes,  worked  by  stationary 
power,  to  overcome  the  high  elevation  near  Ithaca, 
was  completed  and  put  in  operation  about  the 
year  1832.  Like  many  similar  enterprises,  the 
road  found  inadequate  business  for  its  support,  and 
proved  a  failure  financially.  After  a  few  years  of 
languishing  business,  it  was  abandoned  by  its 
owners,  and  finally  ceased  its  operations  for  a 
number  of  years,  until  rebuilt  by  a  new  company. 
So  long  as  Ithaca  commanded  the  trade  of  this 
extensive  interior  country,  it  continued  to  prosper, 
but  the  ultimate  extension  of  the  Chemung  Canal 
from  the  head  of  Seneca  Lake  to  Elmira,  and  the 
Chenango  Canal  from  Utica  to  Binghamton,  di- 
verted much  of  the  commercial  traffic  which  had 
formerly  found  its  outlet  by  way  of  Ithaca  and 
the  Cayuga  Lake.  Later,  when  the  New  York 
&  Erie  Railroad  was  extended  along  the  south- 
ern tier,  and  branches  were  constructed  from 
Binghamton  to  Syracuse,  and  from  Elmira  to  Ca- 


PROSPERITY  CHECKED.  229 

nandaigua,  the  territory  tributary  to  the  business 
interests  of  Ithaca  was  substantially  confined  to 
the  County  of  Tompkins.  In  1849  the  railroad 
between  Ithaca  and  Qwego  was  rebuilt,  thus  plac- 
ing Ithaca  in  railway  connection  with  the  Erie 
road  at  Owego,  as  it  was  also  connected  by  steam- 
boat navigation  with  the  New  York  Central  road 
at  Cayuga  Bridge.  Thus  the  situation  of  Ithaca 
was  changed  from  a  point  of  commercial  impor- 
tance, commanding  an  extensive  trade  from  a 
wide  range  of  territory,  to  that  of  a  mere  local 
village,  isolated  from  the  great  lines  of  travel  and 
connected  with  them  by  transportation  of  very 
limited  character.  It  was  no  wonder,  therefore, 
that  the  growth  of  the  village  was  checked  and 
the  ambition  of  its  residents  substantially  culmin- 
ated. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  Ithaca  when  Mr.  Cor- 
nell projected  the  establishment  there  of  a  great 
educational  institution.  One  of  the  first,  and  really 
the  most  serious  embarrassment  that  was  real- 
ized as  to  the  location  of  the  University,  was  the 
lack  of  adequate  facilities  for  travel.  Four  months 
in  each  year  the  lake  was  closed  with  ice,  and  com- 
munication with  the  Central  road  depended  upon 
stages,  or,  if  by  rail,  by  the  circuitous  route  via 
Owego  and  Binghamton  to  Syracuse.  All  felt 
that  this  condition  of  things  must  be  overcome,  or 


230  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  University  would  fail  to  accomplish  its  proper 
mission  on  account  of  its  isolated  situation. 

The  development  of  the  Pennsylvania  coal 
fields  had  already  given  new  life  to  the  Susque- 
hanna  Valley,  and  the  people  of  that  locality  were 
seeking  railway  facilities  to  connect  them  with  the 
canal  system  of  New  York,  as  an  outlet  for  their 
coal  product.  To  meet  this  necessity,  the  Ithaca 
&  Athens  Railroad  Company  was  organized  in 
1866,  with  Mr.  Cornell  as  president.  This  com- 
pany constructed  a  railroad  from  Ithaca  to  Athens, 
where  it  connected  with  the  Lehigh  Valley  Rail- 
way via  Wilkesbarre  to  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia. 

The  new  road,  while  developing  important  busi- 
ness interests  and  connections  for  Ithaca,  failed  to 
remedy  in  any  important  degree  the  lack  of  rail- 
way facilities  requisite  to  accommodate  the  Uni- 
versity travel.  The  result  of  greatest  importance 
to  be  accomplished  was  some  direct  communi- 
cation with  the  Central  road,  but  no  progress 
was  made  in  this  direction  until  the  enactment  of 
the  law  authorizing  the  bonding  of  towns  and  vil- 
lages to  provide  for  railroad  building.  Under  the 
unhealthy  stimulus  of  this  profligate  measure 
several  lines  of  railroad  were  projected  to  con- 
nect Ithaca  with  the  outer  world.  Three  of  these 
projects  finally  gained  the  requisite  vitality  to  un- 


PROJECTED  ROADS.  231 

dertake  the  building  of  roads :  one  from  Ithaca 
to  Geneva,  another  from  Ithaca  to  Cayuga  Bridge 
along  the  east  side  of  Cayuga  Lake,  and  the  third 
from  Ithaca  to  Cortland — which  latter  was  after- 
ward merged  into  the  Utica,  Ithaca  &  Elmira  Rail- 
road Company.  The  town  of  Ithaca  bonded  her- 
self $200,000  for  the  Ithaca  &  Athens  road; 
$300,000  for  the  Geneva  &  Ithaca  ;  and  the  village 
of  Ithaca  was  bonded  to  the  extent  of  $100,000 
for  the  Ithaca  &  Cortland  enterprise. 

Other  towns  on  these  various  routes  were  also 
bonded  for  different  sums,  varying  in  amount  ac- 
cording to  the  ability  of  the  towns  or  the  extent 
of  .their  active  interest  in  the  proposed  roads. 
Unfortunately,  the  easy  process  of  issuing  town 
bonds  encouraged  the  commencement  of  roads  for 
which  no  adequate  warrant  of  business  existed. 
Besides,  the  great  stimulation  in  railway  building 
.advanced  the  market  value  of  iron  and  other  sup- 
plies to  an  extravagant  price.  In  some  instances 
the  cost  of  iron  rails  for  these  roads  was  more 
than  one  hundred  dollars  per  ton,  and  other  mate- 
rials in  proportion.  Thus  the  double  mistake  was 
inevitable,  of  building  roads  which  would  starve 
each  other  in  competing  for  business  inadequate 
for  all,  and  at  the  same  time  making  the  roads  cost 
one-quarter  or  one-third  more  than  they  would  if 
but  half  as  many  roads  had  been  constructed. 


232  EZRA    CORNELL. 

The  town  subscriptions  and  those  of  individuals 
were  generally  sufficient  to  provide  the  right  of 
way  and  grade  the  lines,  leaving  the  bridges,  su- 
perstructure, and  equipment  to  be  provided  by 
the  bonds  of  the  companies  secured  by  mortgage 
on  the  roads.  Mr.  Cornell,  as  was  his  custom  in 
regard  to  all  local  enterprises,  subscribed  liberally 
to  the  stock  of  the  several  roads  leading  from 
Ithaca,  but  his  constant  occupation  in  the  conduct 
of  the  business  of  the  Land  Grant  contract,  pre- 
vented his  taking  an  active  part  in  the  preliminary 
work  of  the  later  organized  roads.  Inability  of 
the  managers  of  the  Geneva  &  Ithaca  road  to 
place  their  bonds  at  any  satisfactory  rate,  led  them 
to  appeal  to  Mr.  Cornell  for  assistance,  and  he 
was  finally  induced  to  take  the  $800,000  of  bonds 
in  order  to  provide  for  the  completion  of  the 
road,  which  seemed  likely  to  fail  of  accomplish- 
ment without  his  aid.  Under  similar  circumstan- 
ces the  Utica,  Ithaca  &  Elmira  Company  ap- 
pealed to  him  for  assistance,  without  which  it  was 
apparent  that  the  road  must  be  abandoned — and 
this  he  considered  would  be  extremely  unfortu- 
nate for  the  interests  of  Ithaca,  and  especially  for 
the  University.  He  finally  added  this  last  burden 
to  his  already  heavy  load  of  undertakings.  His 
loyalty  to  Ithaca  and  the  University,  and  his  anx- 
iety to  promote  their  prosperity,  overcame  his 


FINANCIAL    CRISIS.  233 

good  judgment,  and  induced  him  to  take  upon 
himself  obligations  too  great  even  for  his  exten- 
sive means. 

The  financial  crisis  of  1873,  which  shook  the 
country  from  centre  to  circumference,  was  essen- 
tially a  railroad  panic.  The  extraordinary  develop- 
ment in  the  building  of  railroads  during  the  sev- 
eral years  after  the  close  of  the  war  had  absorbed 
enormous  amounts  of  capital,  for  which  there  was 
nothing  to  show  but  vast  quantities  of  depre- 
ciated stocks  and  bonds.  Europe  had  enriched 
herself  on  our  extravagancies,  and  had  been 
gorged  with  an  endless  supply  of  corporate  secu- 
rities. One  after  another,  enterprises  which  should 
never  have  been  built,  began  to  default  in  the 
payment  of  interest  on  their  bonds,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  these  securities,  which  had  so 
recently  been  the  favorite  of  all  investments,  came 
into  a  general  disrepute.  Often  the  good  were 
condemned  with  the  bad,  for,  aside  from  roads  of 
exceptional  merit,  there  was  an  indiscriminate  dis- 
credit of  all  such  securities. 

It  was  just  at  this  crisis  that  Mr.  Cornell  had 
taken  these  new  complications  upon  himself.  He 
had  already  given  the  University  three-quarters 
of  a  million  dollars,  and  had  advanced  half  a  mil- 
lion in  the  operations  of  the  Land  Grant  contract. 
The  two  railroads  which  he  had  undertaken  to 


234  EZRA    CORNELL. 

complete  required  a  million  and  a  half.  By  the 
conversion  of  the  remainder  of  his  telegraph  in- 
terests, he  raised  two-thirds  of  this  amount,  and 
the  other  third  he  was  obliged  to  borrow.  The 
railroad  bonds  were  absolutely  discredited,  and 
could  not  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
funds,  so  he  was  forced  to  pledge  his  personal 
credit  for  these  necessities.  His  courage,  how- 
ever, never  faltered,  and  he  went  on  with  all  of 
his  old-time  energy  and  perseverance,  determined 
to  carry  his  undertakings  to  a  successful  issue. 

In  the  midst  of  these  struggles,  however,  Mr. 
Cornell  was  suddenly,  in  June,  1874,  incapacitated 
from  personal  attention  to  business  by  a  severe 
illness,  which  kept  him  indoors  for  several  months. 
This  misfortune,  superadded  to  his  financial  em- 
barrassments, was  a  severe  blow  to  his  opera- 
tions. The  knowledge  of  his  serious  illness,  at 
an  advanced  age,  with  his  large  liabilities,  and  en- 
cumbered with  two  new  railway  enterprises  yet  un- 
finished, quickly  impaired  his  credit,  and  rendered 
the  conduct  of  his  business  all  the  more  difficult. 

While  his  illness  greatly  enhanced  the  embar- 
rassments of  his  business,  it  is  undoubtedly  true 
that  the  anxieties  and  discouraging  circumstances 
which  surrounded  him  materially  aggravated  the 
effects  of  the  disease  which  prostrated  him.  His 
medical  attendant  advised  absolute  relief  from 


GREAT  LOSS.  235 

business  cares  and  removal  to  a  milder  climate  for 
the  approaching,  winter.  Neither  of  these  condi- 
tions could  possibly  be  complied  with,  and  the  suf- 
ferer was  released  from  farther  struggle  by  death, 
after  an  illness  of  about  six  months'  duration. 

It  is  of  course  superfluous  to  say  that  the  death 
of  Mr.  Cornell,  under  the  circumstances  which 
preceded  it,  left  the  affairs  of  his  estate  in  a 
most  deplorable  condition.  With  extended  lia- 
bilities and  the  necessity  of  large  additional  in- 
vestments to  complete  the  unfinished  roads,  the 
situation  was  indeed  alarming.  Fortunately,  how- 
ever, the  administrator  of  the  estate  was  equal  to 
the  occasion,  and  by  heroic  treatment  was  enabled 
to  save  something  from  the  threatened  wreck. 
Realizing  that  a  large  actual  loss  had  already  been 
made,  he  decided  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt 
to  recover  what  had  originally  been  invested  in  the 
roads,  but  that  it  was  his  duty  to  rescue  what 
value  then  remained.  He,  therefore,  sold  the 
Geneva  &  Ithaca  road  to  the  Lehigh  Valley  in- 
terests for  the  best  price  he  could  obtain,  which 
was  about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  or  less 
than  one-third  of  the  orio-inal  investment.  This 

o 

great  sacrifice  proved  to  be  extremely  wise,  as 
subsequent  events  demonstrated  that  the  entire 
sum  realized  would  have  been  lost  to  the  estate 
had  the  road  been  retained  a  few  months  longer. 


236  EZRA    CORNELL. 

The  condition  of  the  Utica,  Ithaca  &  Elmira  en- 
terprise, at  the  period  of  Mr.  Cornell's  death,  was 
still  more  embarrassing  than  that  of  the  Geneva 
road.  Sections  of  the  road  had  been  so  far  ad- 
vanced as  to  be  put  in  operation  between  Ith- 
aca and  Cortland,  and  also  between  Van  Etten- 
ville  and  Horseheads.  Between  these  separated 
portions,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  the  grading 
had  been  substantially  completed,  and  seven  or 
eight  miles  of  track  was  laid.  Under  the  opera- 
tions of  a  contract  concluded  by  Mr.  Cornell  a  few 
weeks  prior  to  his  death,  means  were  provided 
during  the  following  year  to  connect  these  sec- 
tions, and  to  discharge  some  three  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  of  his  personal  liabilities  which 
had  been  incurred  in  the  enterprise.  This  ar- 
rangement saved  the  estate  from  absolute  confis- 
cation which  menaced  it  for  several  months,  but, 
down  to  the  present  time,  not  one  dollar  of  the 
half  million  invested  in  the  road  by  him  has  ever 
been  realized. 

Though  these  railroad  enterprises  proved  ex- 
ceedingly disastrous  to  the  financial  resources  of 
Mr.  Cornell's  estate — depleting  it  to  the  extent  of 
a  million  dollars  —they  proved  extremely  advan- 
tageous to  the  prosperity  of  the  village  of  Ithaca, 
and  furnished  ample  and  convenient  access  to  the 
University  from  every  section  of  the  State.  Aside 


AMPLE  FACILITIES.  237 

from  principal  stations  on  the  great  through  lines 
of  travel,  probably  no  town  in  the  State  now  en- 
joys better  facilities  for  travel  and  transportation 
than  Ithaca.  Direct  lines  of  railway  communica- 
tion connect  that  village  with  Elmira,  Waverly, 
Owego,  and  Binghamton,  on  the  Erie  road,  and 
with  Geneva,  Cayuga,  Auburn,  Lyons,  Syracuse, 
and  Canastota,  on  the  Central,  as  well  as  with  the 
main  lines  of  the  Lehigh  Valley,  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  the  New  York, 
West  Shore  &  Buffalo  railways. 

Viewed  from  the  present  standpoint,  the  action 
of  Mr.  Cornell,  in  taking  upon  himself  the  burden 
of  completing  these  roads,  can  only  be  regarded 
as  a  hazardous  and  unwarrantable  undertaking. 
There  are,  however,  many  mitigating  circum- 
stances to  be  considered  before  passing  censure 
upon  him  as  a  man  lacking  prudent  judgment.  In 
the  first  place,  the  investment  by  the  town  and 
village  of  Ithaca  amounting  to  $600,000,  and  of 
individuals,  his  friends  and  neighbors,  to  a  con- 
siderable amount  in  addition,  had  already  been 
made.  These  interests  were  imperilled  by  the 
inability  to  complete  the  roads,  and  the  threatened 
suspension  of  efforts  in  that  direction  would  ap- 
parently leave  the  locality  more  destitute  than 
ever  of  the  hoped-for  facilities.  It  was  the  fond 
expectation  of  Mr.  Cornell  that  he  might  avert 


238  EZRA    CORNELL. 

these  unwelcome  results,  and  his  efforts  were  en- 
listed purely  from  motives  of  public  spirit  and  loy- 
alty to  local  interests.  Governed  by  these  motives, 
he  was  more  likely  to  overlook  the  merits  of  the 
venture  as  an  investment  of  his  own  means,  than 
he  would  have  been  under  other  circumstances. 

The  special  causes  of  the  disastrous  conse- 
quences which  ensued,  were  of  a  character  not 
to  be  apparent  when  Mr.  Cornell  enlisted  in  the 
undertakings.  These  were  the  unprecedented 
financial  revulsion,  and  the  loss  of  his  own  health. 
Although  it  was  true  that  railway  securities  had, 
for  the  time  being,  ceased  to  be  considered  desir- 
able investments,  there  was  no  reason  visible  at 
that  period  to  anticipate  the  utter  collapse  which 
so  suddenly  burst  upon  the  country.  That  occur- 
rence was  in  important  respects  aggravated  by 
numerous  collateral  circumstances  which  were 
wholly  invisible  and  could  not  have  been  estimated 
in  advance.  It  was  like  the  explosion  of  an  ex- 
traordinary electric  storm  from  an  apparently 
clear  atmosphere,  which  carried  ruin  and  devasta- 
tion in  its  track.  So,  too,  in  reference  to  the 
prostrating  illness  which  came  upon  him  without 
warning.  Though  advanced  in  years,  the  firm- 
ness of  his  general  health,  and  the  long  life  of  his 
father,  gave  promise  of  many  years  of  activity  and 
usefulness. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PUBLIC   ENTERPRISE.— LOCAL   IMPROVEMENTS. 

Local  Interests. — Loyal  Citizenship. — Public  Enterprise. — Manu- 
facturing Interests. — Ontario  Ship  Canal. — Telegraph  Con- 
nections.— Glass  Works. — Proposed  Iron  Works. — Ithaca  Sav- 
ings Bank. — First  National  Bank. — Local  Prosperity. — In- 
creased Population. — Extent  of  University  Patronage. — Ro- 
mantic Scenery. — Other  Enterprises. 

COMMENDABLE  as  is  the  disposition  to  foster 
and  promote  public  improvements,  most  men,  as 
a  general  rule,  are  too  much  absorbed  in  devotion 
to  individual  interests  to  think  of,  or  care  much 
for,  the  common  welfare ;  and  it  seldom  happens 
that  those  who  are  endowed  with  public  spirit  are 
at  the  same  time  possessed  of  the  requisite  means 
to  gratify  their  patriotic  impulses.  The  combina- 
tion of  these  important  conditions  for  public  ad- 
vancement in  the  same  person  is  a  fortunate  con- 
tingency for  any  community.  More  especially 
was  it  fortunate  for  Ithaca  that  circumstances  fa- 
vored her  with  a  citizen  both  able  and  willing  to 
render  the  necessary  service  to  overcome  the  bar- 
riers which  checked  her  progress.  Her  peculiar 


240  EZRA    CORNELL. 

topographical  situation  and  the  results  which  at- 
tended the  development  of  the  great  railway  lines 
of  the  State,  had  combined  to  narrow  the  field 
of  her  former  patronage  and  arrest  her  material 
growth.  Only  the  interposition  of  powerful  and 
energetic  influences  could  have  rescued  her  from 
the  insignificant  position  to  which  adverse  fate  had 
consigned  her. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  considerations 
which  first  attracted  Mr.  Cornell's  attention  to 
Ithaca,  and  induced  him  to  choose  it  as  the  loca- 
tion of  his  home,  it  was  certainly  an  incident  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  its  subsequent  develop- 
ment. He  had  but  just  attained  his  majority  when 
it  became  the  home  of  his  adoption,  and  through 
the  remainder  of  his  life  his  loyalty  to  the  welfare  of 
the  town  was  continually  manifested  by  efforts  to 
promote  its  material  prosperity.  During  all  the 
years  of  his  engrossing  engagement  in  the  tele- 
graph enterprise,  he  continued  the  residence  of 
his  family  at  Ithaca  at  great  personal  incon- 
venience, owing  to  its  inaccessible  location  and 
the  difficulty  of  getting  to  and  from  his  business. 
That  he  did  not  determine  to  change  the  resi- 
dence of  his  family  to  a  more  convenient  point  was 
another  fortunate  circumstance  for  Ithaca,  as  it 
would  probably  have  resulted  in  his  permanent 
location  elsewhere. 


LOYAL    CITIZEN.  241 

Throughout  his  entire  career  Mr.  Cornell 
evinced  an  especial  interest  in  the  promotion  of 
all  such  public  enterprises  as  promised  advan- 
tageous results  for  Ithaca.  The  successive  steps 
taken  by  him  for  the  erection  of  the  Cornell  Li- 
brary and  the  establishment  of  the  Cornell  Univer- 
sity, and  finally  for  the  completion  of  the  railways 
to  connect  Ithaca  with  the  outer  world,  were  evi- 
dences of  the  highest  ambition  to  serve  the  pub- 
lic weal.  The  extent  of  his  contributions  for  the 
public  benefit,  supplemented  by  so  much  labori- 
ous personal  effort  to  insure  the  most  useful  re- 
sults, exhibited  a  patriotic  devotion  which  can 
probably  be  found  in  no  other  instance.  Not 
only  was  the  great  bulk  of  his  fortune — consider- 
ably more  than  three-fourths  of  it — given  in  fur- 
therance of  these  objects  ;  his  very  life  was  prob- 
ably not  a  little  shortened  in  consequence  of  his 
efforts  to  advance  these  interests  so  vital  to  the 
locality.  No  man  ever  died  more  clearly  a  martyr 
to  the  cause  of  his  devotion,  than  did  Ezra  Cor- 
nell as  the  result  of  his  efforts  to  develop  the  in- 
terests which  were  so  essential  to  insure  the  con- 
tinued prosperity  of  Ithaca. 

Long  before  he  had  acquired  a  competence, 
when  he  was  a  simple  mechanic,  employed  in  the 
service  of  Colonel  Beebe  at  Fall  Creek,  Mr. 
Cornell  was  an  early  and  persistent  advocate  of 

16 


242  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  development  of  additional  manufacturing-  in- 
terests at  Ithaca.  He  devoted  much  effort  to  call- 
ing the  attention  of  citizens  and  strangers  to  the 
manifest  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  im- 
provement of  the  unoccupied  water  power  of  the 
Fall  Creek  stream.  Though  of  extremely  limited 
means  at  the  time,  he  contributed  with  character- 
istic liberality  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Ithaca 
Falls  Woolen  Company,  and  was  largely  influen- 
tial in  securing  the  necessary  capital  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  that  important  enterprise.  That  the 
company  ended  its  career  in  insolvency  after  sev- 
eral years  of  languishing  business,  was  due  to  the 
eccentricities  of  its  administration,  with  which  Mr. 
Cornell  was  in  no  way  connected,  and  for  which 
he  was  in  no  wise  responsible. 

The  project  for  the  connection  of  Cayuga  Lake 
with  Lake  Ontario  by  a  ship  canal,  in  order  to 
place  Ithaca  in  direct  navigable  communication 
with  the  great  lakes  of  the  northwest,  was  a  fav- 
orite subject  of  Mr.  Cornell's  advocacy.  He  de- 
voted much  attention  and  effort  in  this  direction 
prior  to  1840,  and  again  renewed  attention  to  the 
subject  during  his  service  in  the  Legislature, 
where  he  introduced  a  bill  to  promote  the  enter- 
prise. The  topographical  features  of  the  section  of 
country  between  the  two  lakes  were  extremely  fa- 
vorable to  the  economical  construction  of  the  pro- 


LOCAL  ENTERPRISE.  243 

posed  work,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  its 
construction  would  have  concentrated  at  Ithaca 
commercial  activities  and  manufactures  of  great 
importance.  Mr.  Cornell  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  possibilities  which  might  follow  the  suc- 
cessful inauguration  of  this  proposed  improve- 
ment. 

As  early  as  1846,  Ithaca  was  placed  in  instanta- 
neous communication  with  the  principal  cities  of 
the  country,  by  the  construction  of  a  line  of  tele- 
graph to  Auburn,  which  was  done  almost  wholly 
at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Cornell.  He  also  made  ear- 
nest efforts  to  induce  his  neighbors  and  friends 
to  participate  in  the  advantageous  opportunities 
which  this  novel  enterprise  at  that  day  offered. 
Unfortunately,  however,  they  were  discouraged  by 
the  disappointment  which  awaited  their  small  in- 
vestments in  the  New  York  &  Erie  Telegraph 
Company,  and  they  could  not  be  induced  to  take 
further  risks.  Could  they  have  been  enabled  to 
comprehend  the  cause  of  that  disappointment,  and 
continue  their  ventures  in  the  subsequent  op- 
portunities which  were  offered  to  them,  some  of 
the  many  millions  realized  as  profits  on  the  in- 
vestments of  citizens  of  Rochester  and  Utica, 
might  have  been  brought  to  Ithaca  in  addition  to 
the  realizations  of  the  pioneer.  In  the  early  days 
of  the  telegraph  development,  a  large  number  of 


244  EZRA    CORNELL. 

young  men  of  Tompkins  County  entered  into 
that  service  by  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Cornell, 
many  of  whom  have,  in  consequence  of  the  oppor- 
tunities thus  secured,  become  men  of  large  wealth 
and  influence.  They  have,  however,  almost  uni- 
formly failed  to  return  to  their  early  homes,  hav- 
ing permanently  settled  in  other  localities. 

The  establishment  of  the  manufacture  of  glass 
at  Ithaca  must  be  credited  to  the  sagacious  fore- 
thought and  the  persistent  efforts,  as  well  as  the 
generous  encouragement,  of  Mr.  Cornell.  The 
remarkable  prosperity  which  now  attends  the  de- 
velopment of  that  important  industry  by  the  ex- 
tensive works  now  in  operation  in  the  village,  is  a 
marked  vindication  of  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment 
in  this  respect.  It  is  an  especially  gratifying  feature 
that  the  quality  of  glass  produced  at  Ithaca,  is 
much  superior  to  other  glass  of  American  manu- 
facture, and  that  it  commands  a  higher  price  in  the 
market.  This  important  fact  is  attributed  to  the 
peculiar  influence  of  the  movements  of  the  air-cur- 
rents in  giving  a  strong  and  steady  natural  draft 
in  the  furnaces.  It  is  supposed  that  this  particu- 
lar effect  is  produced  in  consequence  of  the  loca- 
tion of  the  works  at  a  point  between  the  lake 
and  the  great  ravines,  which  have  been  cut  in  the 
faces  of  the  surrounding  hills  by  the  flow  of  the 
large  streams  of  water  seeking  the  level  of  Ca- 


GLASS   WORKS.  245 

yuga  Lake.  If  this  shall  become  an  established 
fact  as  it  is  now  a  generally  accepted  theory,  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  Ithaca  will  become  at  no  dis- 
tant period  a  still  more  important  seat  for  the 
production  of  this  valuable  staple. 

It  was  a  favorite  idea  with  Mr.  Cornell  that  the 
manufacture  of  iron  could  be  located  at  Ithaca 
with  great  advantage.  He  made  careful  investi- 
gation of  this  subject,  and  satisfied  himself  that 
the  necessary  ingredients  for  the  production  of  a 
superior  quality  of  iron  could  be  more  economi- 
cally and  advantageously  brought  together  at  this 
point  than  at  any  other  locality.  Based  upon  this 
investigation,  he  subscribed  a  large  sum  toward 
the  organization  of  a  company  for  this  purpose, 
and  at  his  solicitation  the  requisite  amount  of 
capital  was  provided ;  but  the  enterprise  was  finally 
abandoned  after  having  broken  ground  for  the 
erection  of  works,  on  account  of  the  depressed 
condition  of  the  iron  industry,  consequent  upon 
the  financial  disturbances  of  1873. 

The  Ithaca  Savings  Bank,  which  has  become 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  financial  institutions 
in  that  section  of  the  State,  owes  its  organization 
to  the  wise  conception  and  urgent  endeavor  of 
Mr.  Cornell.  Its  charter  was  enacted  under  his 
procurement  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature, 
and  the  eminent  degree  of  success  which  has  at- 


'6' 


246  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tended  its  management,  has  been  due  in  no  slight 
measure  to  the  confidence  inspired  by  his  accep- 
tance of  the  presidency  of  the  institution  in  its 
initiatory  stage.  He  was  impressed  with  the  be- 
lief that  a  highly  beneficial  influence  would  follow 
the  substantial  establishment  of  a  sound  and  well- 
managed  institution  of  this  character,  in  promoting 
habits  of  increased  frugality  among  the  industrial 
classes  of  the  community.  The  accumulation  of 
more  than  half  a  million  of  dollars  in  the  custody 
of  this  organization,  in  the  few  years  of  its  exis- 
tence, attests  not  only  the  wisdom  of  the  project, 
but  also  the  confidence  which  its  administration 
has  inspired.  Mr.  Cornell  took  great  pride  in  the 
development  of  the  institution,  and  continued  to 
serve  as  its  presiding  officer  until  the  close  of  his 
life.  He  was  also  one  of  the  originators  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Ithaca,  of  which  he  was  a 
director  for  ten  years.  The  marked  success  of 
this  organization  is  highly  creditable  to  the  man- 
agement which  has  so  advantageously  directed  its 
affairs. 

The  advancement  of  Ithaca,  from  the  condition 
of  a  finished,  and  indeed  superannuated,  country 
village,  into  a  thrifty  and  ambitious  town,  with 
every  reasonable  promise  of  becoming  at  no  dis- 
tant period  a  city  of  growing  importance,  was  due, 
unquestionably,  to  the  successful  efforts  of  Mr. 


PUBLIC  BENEFITS.  247 

Cornell  in  the  projection  and  development  of  the 
great  University,  and  in  the  completion  of  the  ad- 
mirable system  of  railway  facilities  which  cost  him 
so  dearly.  He  took  a  deep  interest  and  was  a 
leading-  spirit  in  every  project  for  the  advance- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  village,  not  only  in 
its  material,  but  as  well  in  its  moral  progress. 
For  the  erection  of  churches  of  all  denominations 
he  was  ever  an  open-handed  contributor,  and  it  is 
quite  safe  to  assert  that  every  place  of  worship  in 
the  village  was  indebted  to  him  for  benefactions 
of  greater  or  less  degree.  There  is  not  a  village 
lot  in  Ithaca  which  does  not  bear  an  increased 
value,  and  in  many  instances  doubled  and  even 
quadrupled  value,  in  consequence  of  the  philan- 
thropic and  unselfish  efforts  of  Ezra  Cornell.  May 
the  residents  of  the  beautiful  and  prosperous  town 
long  remember  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  they 
owe  to  his  memory. 

Without  some  little  reflection  it  is  impossible 
to  appreciate  with  much  intelligence  the  magni- 
tude of  advantage  which  the  people  of  Ithaca  en- 
joy in  a  business  way,  from  the  location  in  their 
midst  of  an  institution  like  the  Cornell  University. 
In  the  first  place,  it  now  has  a  fixed  annual  in- 
come of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
nearly  all  of  which  must  be  disbursed  for  its  cur- 
rent working  expenses  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 


248  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Next,  it  brings  from  a  wide  expanse  of  territory 
more  than  four  hundred  students,  who  spend  nine 
months  of  each  year  at  Ithaca.  Assuming  that 
they  expend  only  the  small  sum  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  each  for  their  maintenance,  it  will 
amount  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which, 
added  to  the  University  expenditures,  aggregate 
nearly  one  thousand  dollars  contributed  to  the 
material  interests  of  Ithaca  every  business  day  of 
the  year  from  these  sources  alone.  Then  there 
must  be  credited  a  very  considerable  sum  expended 
by  the  thousands  of  visitors  who  are  every  year 
brought  to  the  village  by  the  University.  Added 
to  these  advantages  are  many  residents,  who  have 
been,  and  are  continually  being  induced  to  locate 
at  Ithaca,  on  account  of  its  superior  educational 
opportunities.  The  extensive  and  growing  manu- 
factures of  the  village,  also,  find  many  advanta- 
geous circumstances  for  the  introduction  and  sale 
of  their  products,  growing  out  of  the  good  fame 
attaching  to  the  name  of  Ithaca  as  the  seat  of  a 
great  University. 

Another  subject  of  local  significance  for  which 
Mr.  Cornell  evinced  an  especial  interest  and  made 
liberal  contributions  to  render  more  accessible,  was 
the  romantic,  and  indeed  extraordinary,  natural 
scenery  of  the  region  about  Ithaca,  which  he  felt 
was  worthy  of  attracting  a  large  concourse  of 


ROMANTIC  SCENERY.  249 

summer  tourists.  Clustered  within  two  or  three 
miles  of  the  village,  on  the  half-dozen  considerable 
streams  which  pour  their  water  over  the  rocky 
and  precipitous  hill-sides,  on  their  way  to  the 
level  of  the  beautiful  Cayuga  Lake,  are  nearly 
one  hundred  waterfalls  of  such  magnitude  as  to 
be  worthy  of  especial  notice.  Some  of  these 
cataracts  and  cascades  are  wonderfully  interest- 
ing. The  Fall  Creek  gorge,  within  a  few  rods 
of  the  University  campus,  affords  a  day's  stroll 
of  thrilling  interest  and  excitement.  Taghanic 
Falls,  throwing  an  unbroken  stream  two  hundred 
and  fifteen  feet,  is  the  highest  waterfall  in  any  of 
the  Northern  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. Taken  altogether  for  extent  and  variety 
of  scenery,  this  region  has  few  rivals  in  the  United 
States,  while  numerous  other  localities,  with  com- 
paratively nothing  like  the  attractions  of  Ithaca, 
enjoy  a  patronage  from  tourists,  many  fold  greater. 
With  the  added  advantages  of  the  extensive  build- 
ings, museums,  and  library  of  the  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, the  repute  of  this  neighborhood  should  be 
infinitely  greater  than  it  now  enjoys. 

Nor  was  Ithaca  alone  the  beneficiary  of  Mr. 
Cornell's  enterprising  public  spirit.  His  activity 
was  ceaseless,  and  he  never  tired  in  the  promo- 
tion of  meritorious  projects.  The  wonderful  de- 
velopment which  has  in  late  years  been  made  in 


250  EZRA    CORNELL. 

producing  illustrated  publications,  is  due  in  no 
small  degree  to  results  following  the  establish- 
ment of  the  American  Photo-Lithograph  Com- 
pany, of  which  Mr.  Cornell  was  a  large  stock- 
holder and  for  many  years  held  the  office  of 
president.  The  great  advance  which  was  made 
by  this  organization  in  the  art  of  lithography,  by 
combining  with  it  the  use  of  photography,  has 
completely  revolutionized  this  important  and  use- 
ful branch  of  illustrative  publication.  Through 
the  inadequacy  of  the  patent  laws  to  protect  in- 
ventors in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  their  la- 
bors, Mr.  Cornell  failed  to  realize  profit  from  his 
ventures  in  this  direction,  but  the  benefits  accru- 
ing to  the  public,  as  the  result  of  the  efforts  of 
the  organization,  which  was  effected  under  his  pat- 
ronage, cannot  be  estimated.  They  are  indeed 
inestimable,  and  are  of  constantly  increasing  value. 
Mr.  Cornell  was  extensively  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  agricultural  implements  at  Albany, 
and  was  also  the  patron,  promoter,  and  proprietor 
of  a  variety  of  meritorious  enterprises,  not  only  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  but  likewise  in  Ohio, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  other 
States. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

FAMILY  AND  DOMESTIC  RELATIONS. 

Reserved  Manners. — Filial  Affection. — Self-reliance. — Devotion 
to  Parents. — Great  Bereavement. — Fraternal  Generosity. — 
Domestic  Relations. — Family  Discipline. — Education  of  Chil- 
dren.— Interest  in  Distant  Relations. — Genealogical  Labors. 
— Loyalty  to  Old  Friends. — New  Family  Residence. — "  Villa 
Cornell." — Elegance  of  Construction. — "  True  and  Firm." 

HABITUALLY  reserved  in  manner,  with  a  preva- 
lent appearance  of  mental  preoccupation,  having 
but  slight  inclination  to  the  usual  modes  of  recre- 
ation, there  was  little  in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of 
Mr.  Cornell  to  denote  the  depth  of  earnest  affec- 
tion with  which  he  was  in  a  large  degree  endowed. 
While  remarkably  exempt  from  impulsive  or  emo- 
tional tendencies,  he  was  peculiarly  devoted  in 
attachment  to  his  kindred.  Despite  a  quiet  and 
undemonstrative  nature,  there  was  in  his  organi- 
zation a  development  of  filial  and  fraternal  love 
which  was  apparently  inexhaustible.  This  ad- 
mirable trait  of  his  character  grew  stronger  and 
became  more  marked  with  advancing  years,  and 
was  altogether  a  charming  feature  of  his  life.  The 


252  EZRA   CORNELL. 

uniformly  cheerful  obedience  of  his  youth,  and 
the  respectful  and  affectionate  bearing  of  his  sub- 
sequent years,  were  frequently  the  subjects  of 
grateful  commendation  on  the  part  of  his  vener- 
able parents  ;  while  his  tender  solicitude  for  their 
welfare  and  his  delicate  attention  to  the  comfort 
of  their  declining  age  were  characteristic  of  him 
and  most  interesting  to  observe. 

Ambitious  of  securing  for  himself  an  independ- 
ent and  self-reliant  maintenance,  while  yet  but 
eighteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Cornell  voluntarily  de- 
parted from  the  paternal  roof  in  quest  of  employ- 
ment. Successful  in  his  purpose  of  self-support, 
he  thenceforth  returned  to  the  family  home  only  in 
the  capacity  of  an  occasional,  but  ever  welcome, 
visitor.  At  the  period  of  his  leaving  the  home  of 
his  youth,  his  parents  were  just  in  the  mature 
prime  of  life,  surrounded  by  a  bevy  of  young  chil- 
dren ;  but  as  the  years  rolled  by  in  constant  succes- 
sion, one  child  after  another  reached  the  age  of 
independence  and  sallied  forth  into  the  great 
world,  each  thus  leaving  a  vacant  chair  at  the 
family  board.  Occasionally  returning  in  defer- 
ence to  the  promptings  of  filial  devotion,  he  could 
not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  advancing  age 
of  the  parents,  and  the  depleted  household,  con- 
tinually increasing  in  loneliness  with  the  departure 
of  each  succeeding  child.  Though  this  touching 


FILIAL  DEVOTION.  253 

feature  of  domestic  life  is  but  the  repetition  of  or- 
dinary family  experience,  it  cannot  fail  to  revive 
tender  memories  in  the  hearts  of  all,  who  observe 
and  reflect  upon  the  changes  which  are  constantly 
attending  us  here. 

Animated  by  an  intense  desire  to  render  more 
cheerful  the  lonely  pathway  of  his  aged  parents, 
and  to  make  good  so  far  as  possible  his  own 
departure  from  the  family  circle,  Mr.  Cornell 
appealed  to  them  to  change  their  location  to  the 
vicinity  of  his  home.  Conforming  to  his  solicita- 
tion, the  family  in  1841  abandoned  their  residence 
in  De  Ruyter,  and  accepted  a  home  at  Ithaca 
provided  for  them  by  their  eldest  son  in  his  own 
immediate  neighborhood.  Several  of  their  other 
children  had  also  previously  established  them- 
selves at  Itftaca  and  in  that  vicinity,  so  that  at  the 
time  of  their  removal,  it  was  a  most  eligible  and 
convenient  situation  for  them  on  this  account. 
Here  they  continued  to  reside,  for  a  period  of 
about  fifteen  years,  in  the  calm  enjoyment  of 
serene  old  age,  surrounded  by  the  children  of 
their  love,  from  whom  they  received  the  most 
tender  and  respectful  attention.  Their  greatest 
privation,  and  one  which  they  greatly  missed  and 
regretted,  was  their  church  association,  from 
which  they  were  so  distantly  separated. 

During  much  of  the  time  of  the  residence  of 


254  EZRA    CORNELL. 

his  parents  at  Ithaca,  Mr.  Cornell  was  necessarily 
away  from  home  in  the  pursuit  of  his  telegraph 
engagements,  but  when  thus  absent,  he  was  a 
faithful  correspondent,  and  always  upon  his  return 
home,  he  took  early  and  frequent  occasion  to  pay 
respectful  devotion  to  them,  and  evinced  in  many 
ways  the  depth  of  his  abiding  affection  for  them. 
The  final  location  of  several  of  their  daughters 
near  together  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  naturally 
created  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  parents  to  re- 
side near  them.  Though  reluctant  to  have  them 
leave  his  neighborhood,  he  recognized  the  rea- 
sonableness of  their  wish  to  be  near  his  sisters ; 
he  personally  attended  them  on  their  journey,  and 
arranged  for  their  comfortable  establishment  in 
their  new  home.  His  mother,  however,  did  not 
long  survive  this  change  of  residence,  as  she  was 
suddenly  called  to  her  final  rest  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  This  bereavement 
was  sadly  distressing  to  Mr.  Cornell,  whose  affec- 
tion for  his  mother  was  entwined  in  every  fibre  of 
his  nature.  Notwithstanding  his  apparently  com- 
posed demeanor,  those  familiar  with  him  could  not 
fail  to  observe  the  intense  suffering  which  this 
irreparable  affliction  caused  him.  Mr.  Cornell's 
father  subsequently  returned  to  Ithaca,  and  spent 
a  considerable  time  as  a  member  of  his  family, 
but  finally  returned  to  Michigan,  where  he  was 


FRATERNAL  SPIRIT.  2$$ 

domiciled  with  one  of  his  daughters.  Here  his 
long-  life  was  brought  to  a  tranquil  ending  from 
the  effects  of  old  age,  having  attained  the  re- 
markable measure  of  ninety-one  years. 

If  the  evidences  of  Mr.  Cornell's  sincere  and 
devoted  affection  for  his  parents  were  unusual, 
and  the  subject  of  particular  observation,  his  fra- 
ternal relations  were  none  the  less  so.  Through 
all  of  his  life  his  bearing  toward  his  brothers  and 
sisters  partook  much  of  the  peculiarities  noted 
with  reference  to  his  parental  devotion,  ever 
seeking  when  opportunity  offered  to  render  them 
some  useful  or  valuable  service.  When  separated 
from  them  by  distant  residence,  he  was  assiduous 
in  the  duty  of  correspondence,  and  whenever 
chance  brought  him  within  the  vicinity  of  their 
residences  he  was  accustomed  to  visit  them. 
Each  and  every  one  of  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
was  in  some  form,  to  greater  or  less  extent,  as 
circumstances  and  necessities  dictated,  the  recip- 
ients of  his  favor,  and  realized  in  some  measure 
the  benefits  of  his  material  prosperity. 

In  the  relation  of  husband  Mr.  Cornell  was  in 
all  respects  worthy  of  the  highest  commendation. 
Faithful  in  observing  the  duties  imposed  by  wed- 
ded vows,  respectfully  considerate  of  the  feelings 
and  wishes  of  his  life  partner,  tenderly  devoted 
to  her  in  affection,  patient  and  forbearing  under 


256  EZRA    CORNELL. 

all  circumstances,  abstemious  in  habits,  circum- 
spect in  conduct  and  unimpeachable  in  all  the 
ways  of  life,  his  married  life  was  one  continual 
source  of  satisfaction.  Assuming  the  responsi- 
bilities of  matrimony  at  the  age  of  twenty-four, 
though  in  extremely  modest  financial  circum- 
stances, he  was  enabled  to  provide  a  home  which 
was  the  abode  of  happiness,  refinement,  and  con- 
tentment ;  in  which  his  nine  children  were  born, 
and  from  which  four  of  them  were  buried.  Ten 
years  of  domestic  tranquillity  were  marked  by  the 
loss  of  accustomed  employment,  incident  to  the 
change  of  the  business  in  which  he  had  been  en- 
gaged. Failing  to  secure  occupation  near  home, 
he  was  forced  to  seek  it  abroad.  Circumstances, 
elsewhere  related  in  detail,  connected  him  with 
the  development  of  the  electric  telegraph,  and  in 
the  prosecution  of  this  business  he  was  for  a  dozen 
years  necessarily  much  absent  from  home.  The 
entire  discipline  of  the  children  was  thus  left  to 
the  judicious  discretion  of  their  mother,  who  per- 
formed her  duty  with  painstaking  fidelity.  He 
was  an  industrious  and  prolific  correspondent,  and 
the  home  which  was  so  much  of  the  time  lonely 
because  of  his  absence,  was  brightened  by  the 
arrival  of  frequent  and  always  interesting  letters, 
which  were  sure  to  break  the  tedium  of  each 
week. 


DOMESTIC  RELATIONS. 

In  the  later  years  of  Mr.  Cornell's  telegraph 
service,  when  the  children  required  less  exacting 
attention  from  their  mother,  she  frequently  ac- 
companied him  on  his  journeys,  especially  at  such 
times  as  he  would  be  likely  to  remain  long  in  any 
particular  neighborhood.  As  they  advanced  in 
years,  and  home  cares  were  still  more  relaxed,  they 
travelled  much  together,  and  it  was  his  delight  al- 
ways to  be  accompanied  by  her,  as  if  to  make 
amends  for  the  years  of  absence  which  the  exigen- 
cies of  business  requirements  had  rendered  neces- 
sary. Thus  they  journeyed  together  to  Europe, 
and  in  many  trips  undertaken  for  pleasure  through 
the  Canadian  provinces,  and  the  eastern  and  south- 
ern as  well  as  many  of  the  far  western  States. 
In  all  of  his  legislative  career  Mrs.  Cornell  was 
his  constant  companion,  and  for  the  last  two  years 
in  the  Senate,  they  maintained  an  independent 
household  in  Albany ;  and  they  were  the  recip- 
ients of  many  social  attentions  from  the  leading 
families  of  the  capital  city. 

In  personal  intercourse  with  his  children  Mr. 
Cornell  was  affectionate  and  considerate,  and  in 
return  was  loved  and  respected  by  them  in  more 
than  an  ordinary  degree.  If  he  was  firm  in  en- 
forcing his  authority  in  opposition  to  the  desires 
of  a  child,  it  was  in  such  manner  as  to  avoid  any 
appearance  of  harshness.  He  was  especially  am- 
17 


258  EZRA   CORNELL. 

bitious  for  the  thorough  education  of  his  children, 
in  which  he  was  to  a  considerable  degree  disap- 
pointed, more  especially  with  his  sons.  This  was 
owing,  probably,  to  the  fact  that  his  absence  from 
home  so  much  of  the  time,  during  the  years  of 
their  school  attendance,  prevented  the  necessary 
control  of  their  movements  in  this  regard.  While 
their  mother  exerted  every  possible  effort  to  keep 
them  in  school,  and  their  minds  absorbed  in  study, 
the  establishment  in  Ithaca  of  a  telegraph  office 
proved  too  great  an  attraction  for  the  older  son, 
who  at  the  age  of  fourteen  had  acquired  the  art 
of  telegraphy  without  the  knowledge  of  his  par- 
ents. Between  the  attractions  of  a  telegraph 
office  and  those  of  an  academy  for  a  boy  at  the 
witching  age  of  fourteen,  it  may  be  safely  calcu- 
lated that  the  former  will  carry  the  palm  three 
times  out  of  four,  and  thus  it  was  in  this  case. 
This  defection  of  the  older  son  from  school  life 
proved  demoralizing  upon  the  younger  brothers, 
and  although  they  were  kept  in  school  as  long  as 
possible,  the  second  son  completed  only  a  portion 
of  his  academical  education,  while  the  younger 
one  finished  his  preparatory  studies,  and  devoted 
two  years  to  a  University  course.  With  the 
daughters  there  were  no  such  counter-attractions, 
and  they  more  kindly  followed  and  availed  them- 
selves of  the  educational  facilities  which  were 


CORDIAL  SUPPORT.  2 59 

placed  at  their  disposal,  having  both  been  educa- 
ted at  the  Vassar  Female  College. 

In  both  the  projection  and  development  of  his 
plans  for  the  establishment,  first  of  the  Cornell 
Library,  and  afterward  of  the  Cornell  University, 
Mr.  'Cornell  had  in  every  particular  the  cordial 
co-operation  of  his  wife  and  children.  They  re- 
alized that  his  great  fortune  had  come  to  him 
as  the  result  of  his  own  exertions  and  privations, 
and  they  did  not  desire  to  interfere  with  such  dis- 
position of  it  as  should  best  gratify  him.  No  word 
of  objection  or  disapproval  was  ever  expressed 
by  the  members  of  his  family  in  reference  to  any 
of  the  schemes  of  benefaction  which  he  entered 
into.  They  saw  him  dispersing  with  lavish  hand 
the  princely  inheritance  which,  but  for  his  philan- 
thropic plans,  might  have  enriched  them ;  but 
they  uttered  no  complaint  nor  gave  expression  to 
feelings  of  dissatisfaction. 

In  the  several  relations  of  domestic  life,  it  can- 
not be  denied  that  Mr.  Cornell  was  in  many  re- 
spects a  person  of  marked  and  impressive  indi- 
viduality. Far  beyond  the  commonalty  of  men, 
he  was  a  loving,  dutiful  son,  considerate  of  the 
pleasure  of  his  parents,  the  pride  and  hope  of 
their  earlier  years,  the  prudent  counsellor  of  mid- 
dle life,  and  the  ever  faithful  comforter  of  their 
declining  age.  To  all  of  his  numerous  broth- 


260  EZRA    CORNELL. 

ers  and  sisters  he  was  ever  the  cheering,  helpful, 
and  generous  brother,  always  quite  willing  to  aid 
in  promoting  their  interests,  and  not  infrequently 
at  the  expense  of  his  own.  As  a  husband,  he 
was  affectionate,  considerate,  and  faithful,  with  a 
strict  and  delicate  sense  of  the  obligations  which 
the  marriage  vows  imposed  on  him  ;  while  in  the 
parental  relation  he  was  always  impartial,  requir- 
ing obedience  as  necessary  to  wholesome  dis- 
cipline, and  animated  with  commendable  ambition 
that  his  children  might  attain  by  good  conduct 
respected  standing  in  community. 

Tender  and  devoted  as  was  his  affection  for 
those  with  whom  he  was  connected  by  the  nearer 
ties  of  kinship,  it  by  no  means  limited  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Cornell  in  the  more  distant  lines  of  con- 
sanguinity. With  him  persons  of  any  degree  of 
blood  relationship  were  certain  to  find  cordial 
welcome.  He  was  greatly  interested  and  devoted 
much  personal  effort  to  the  investigation  and  per- 
fection of  his  genealogical  record.  For  many 
years,  and  amid  other  laborious  occupations  of 
absorbing  interest,  he  conducted  a  voluminous 
correspondence  for  the  purpose  of  extending  and 
completing  this  work.  Especially  was  he  inter- 
ested in  the  name  of  CORNELL,  and  he  spared  no 
reasonable  effort  to  trace  out  and  identify  the 
pedigree  of  each  person  bearing  it,  to  determine 


GENEALOGY.  261 

whether  any  direct  relationship  could  be  estab- 
lished, however  distant  in  degree.  Genealogi- 
cal investigation  was  a  work  which  possessed 
peculiar  attraction  for  him,  and  increased  in  in- 
terest as  the  weight  of  years  rested  upon  him. 
He  had  accumulated  a  vast  mass  of  information 
bearing  on  this  subject,  which,  owing  to  the  en- 
grossing labors  of  his  later  years,  was  left  by 
him  in  an  unfinished  condition.  It  is,  therefore, 
to  be  hoped  that  some  of  his  descendants  may  in 
the  future  feel  disposed  to  take  up  and  complete 
this  work  which  so  greatly  interested  him. 

With  all  ot  his  affectionate  regard  for  his  fam- 
ily relatives,  Mr.  Cornell  always  had  a  warm  place 
in  his  heart  for  the  old  friends  and  neighbors  of 
his  family  whom  he  had  known  in  early  years. 
Whenever  opportunity  permitted,  he  took  great 
delight  in  visiting  the  localities  where  his  parents 
had  formerly  resided,  and  looking  up  the  old 
friends  with  whom  they  had  been  familiar.  Neither 
age  nor  condition  in  life  was  a  bar  to  his  interest 
in  their  welfare  and  prosperity,  and  if  it  so  hap- 
pened that  fortune  had  changed  to  their  preju- 
dice, they  had  no  cause  to  regret  the  continued 
acquaintance  of  the  son  of  their  old  friends  ;  while 
it  sometimes  happened  that  circumstances  per- 
mitted him  to  do  something  to  smooth  the  path  of 
those  who  had  fallen  into  distress.  So,  too,  the 


262  EZRA    CORNELL. 

friends  of  his  own  humble  early  life  were  never 
changed  in  his  regard,  by  the  great  prosperity 
which  came  to  him.  Once  a  friend  always  a 
friend  was  his  rule,  unless  sundered  by  some 
unworthy  act. 

Necessary  absence  from  home  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  time  for  several  years,  in  the  pro- 
jection and  management  of  his  telegraph  interests, 
naturally  made  Mr.  Cornell  appreciate  all  the 
more,  when  permitted  to  enjoy,  the  comforts  and 
pleasures  of  home.  It  was  no  cause  of  surprise, 
therefore,  that  with  his  exceptional  prosperity 
came  the  ambition  to  build  a  dwelling  which 
should  be  an  ornament  to  the  locality.  Having 
procured  the  necessary  plans,  he  began,  in  1868, 
the  erection  of  a  tasteful  and  elegant  gothic  villa 
of  stone,  which  was  designed  as  a  permanent  res- 
idence for  his  family.  Several  expert  carvers  in 
stone  were  imported  directly  from  Europe,  and 
employed  on  the  work.  "  TRUE  AND  FIRM,"- 
the  motto  which  surmounts  the  principal  entrance 
—is  indeed  characteristic  of  the  building  in  all  of  its 
details.  The  elaborate  design  of  architecture  and 
the  elegance  of  the  interior  finish,  necessarily 
made  the  process  of  construction  extremely  slow. 
Nearly  eight  years  were  consumed  in  building  the 
house,  which  was  not  entirely  finished  until  about 
a  year  after  the  death  of  its  projector. 


VILLA    CORNELL,  263 

This  unique  and  beautiful  edifice,  which  is  the 
admiration  of  all  who  have  the  opportunity  of 
viewing  it,  has  been,  since  the  spring  of  1876,  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Cornell,  with  whom  her  two 
daughters  have  resided.  There  are  certainly  but 
few  residences  in  the  State,  outside  of  the  great 
metropolis,  which  can  compare  with  "  Villa  Cor- 
nell "  in  beauty  of  design  or  perfection  of  work- 
manship. The  house,  completed  and  ready  for 
occupancy,  cost  about  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, exclusive  of  the  value  of  the  plot  of  nine 
acres  on  which  it  is  located.  The  place  is  charm- 
ingly situated  on  the  eastern  bluff,  overlooking 
the  village  of  Ithaca  and  the  ever  beautiful  Ca- 
yuga  Lake.  It  commands  an  extended  and  su- 
perb view  of  the  surrounding  country,  which, 
from  this  particular  spot,  presents  a  diversity  of 
scenery  rarely  observed.  Just  out  of  the  village, 
and  yet  within  a  short  walk  of  the  business  cen- 
tre, it  is  thus  sufficiently  retired  to  avoid  the  dust 
and  noise  of  the  town,  and  still  within  convenient 
distance  of  all  of  its  variety  of  privileges.  A  little 
farther  up  the  hill  and  within  half  a  mile,  is  the 
Campus  of  the  University,  with  its  grand  collec- 
tion of  buildings,  always  a  favorite  and  accessible 
resort  for  recreation  or  diversion. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

PERSONAL     CHARACTERISTICS. —  RELIGIOUS    CHAR- 
ACTER. 

Individuality. — Truth  and  Frankness. — Nervous  Energy. — Untir- 
ing Industry. — Manual  Labor. — Pedestrianism. — Persever- 
ance.— Patience. — Mental  Equipment. — Courage. — Independ- 
ence.—  Integrity.  —  Perfect  Development.  —  Personal  Ap- 
pearance.— Unassuming  Manners. — Private  Benefactions. — 
Religious  Character.  —  Friends  Discipline. 

HOWEVER  faithful  or  impartial  the  effort,  intelli- 
gent and  appreciative  delineation  of  the  personal 
characteristics  and  peculiarities  of  an  individual  is 
not  an  easy  performance  under  any  circumstances. 
When  such  an  undertaking  relates  to  a  person 
endowed  with  numerous  phases  of  character  un- 
usual, and  in  many  respects  extraordinary  in 
their  qualities  when  compared  with  those  of  or- 
dinary development,  the  difficulty  of  the  task  is 
materially  enhanced.  To  render  justice  to  the 
character  under  consideration,  and  present  a  re- 
view acceptable  without  reserve  to  those  unac- 
quainted with  his  striking  individuality,  seem 
quite  impossible.  In  a  variety  of  ways,  the  per- 


INDUSTRY.  265 

sonality  of  Mr.  Cornell  embraced  features  of  re- 
markable vigor  and  the  peculiarities  of  his  char- 
acter in  many  particulars  illustrated  his  Quaker 
origin.  From  his  parents  he  inherited  a  combi- 
nation of  characteristics  which  were  especially 
marked  and  easy  of  recognition  by  those  familiar 
with  him,  prominent  among  which  were  frankness, 
truth,  and  sincerity.  These  qualities  with  him 
were  cardinal  virtues,  and  just  in  proportion  as 
he  valued  them,  did  he  despise  hypocrisy,  pre- 
tence, and  deception. 

Eminently  self-contained  and  exempt  from  emo- 
tion, there  was  yet  in  Mr.  Cornell's  organization 
an  element  of  nervous  energy  which  demanded 
constant  occupation  as  a  requisite  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  personal  comfort.  He  was  never  so  un- 
happy as  when,  by  circumstances  beyond  control, 
he  was  the  victim  of  enforced  idleness.  With  him 
it  could  be  truthfully  said,  industry  knew  no  limit. 
Work,  either  mental  or  physical,  was  his  normal 
condition.  Strong  and  vigorous  in  muscular  de- 
velopment, manual  labor  was  to  him  a  source  of 
positive  enjoyment.  This  was  particularly  dem- 
onstrated by  his  fondness  for  walking,  which  was 
ever  with  him  a  favorite  mode  of  travel.  In  this 
manner  he  performed  a  journey  of  fifteen  hundred 
miles,  in  1842,  through  the  Southern  Atlantic 
States,  often  making  forty  miles  per  day.  He 


266  EZRA    CORNELL. 

frequently  described  this  experience  as  one  of  the 
most  interesting  episodes  in  his  varied  career. 
When  physical  activity  was  not  available  for  him, 
mental  labor  was  its  fixed  alternative.  Reading, 
writing,  study,  and  investigation  fully  occupied  his 
waking  hours  which  were  not  devoted  to  other 
activities.  He  was  a  prolific  letter  writer,  and  oc- 
cupied much  leisure  time  in  the  conduct  of  a  large 
personal  correspondence.  In  foreign  travel  he 
was  accustomed,  for  want  of  other  occupation,  to 
write  letters  for  publication  to  the  Ithaca  papers, 
descriptive  of  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  his  jour- 
neyings. 

Perseverance  is  a  valuable  quality  just  in  the 
degree  that  it  is  directed  by  intelligent  judgment 
and  wise  discretion.  Without  proper  safeguards 
this  commendable  qualification  may,  indeed,  be- 
come an  engine  of  waste  and  destruction.  With 
the  subject  of  present  consideration,  probably  no 
single  personal  characteristic  proved  so  advan- 
tageous as  that  of  persistence,  or  determination. 
The  great  business  success  achieved  by  Mr.  Cor- 
nell was  due,  not  only  to  the  correct  judgment 
which  directed  his  original  venture,  but  in  far 
greater  degree  to  the  sturdiness  and  steadfast 
energy  with  which  he  pursued  his  chosen  purpose, 
and  forced  a  successful  issue  through  manifold 
and  long-continued  embarrassments. 


PATIENCE.  267 

Nothing  could  better  illustrate  the  unyielding 
firmness  of  his  character  than  the  patient  and  un- 
faltering determination  with  which  he  sustained 
himself  in  his  various  telegraph  enterprises  in  the 
face  of  impediments  which  to  others  seemed  ab- 
solutely insurmountable.  Once  he  decided  upon 
a  line  of  policy  to  be  pursued,  obstacles  which 
would  completely  discourage  ordinary  men  were 
brushed  aside  by  him  as  the  merest  incidents, 
while  he  followed  the  object  of  his  judgment  with 
all  of  the  untiring  vigor  of  his  mental  and  physical 
organization.  Thus,  faith  whrch  was  unwavering, 
and  energy  which  never  faltered,  were  finally  re- 
warded by  success  almost  beyond  the  possibility 
of  belief. 

Ability  to  await  with  patience  the  available  op- 
portunity when  a  desired  object  may  be  most  ad- 
vantageously accomplished,  is  a  gift  with  which  few 
are  favored.  While  persistent  energy  will  often 
achieve  great  results,  it  not  unfrequently  happens 
that  the  capacity  for  "  making  haste  slowly"  is  a 
quality  of  the  highest  rank.  Far  beyond  the  or- 
dinary range  of  men  Mr.  Cornell  was  endowed 
with  patience,  which  was  a  direct  inheritance  from 
his  mother,  in  whom  this  beautiful  trait  was  espe- 
cially developed.  With  her  patience  was  a  virtue 
which  adorned  and  illumined  with  its  gentle  influ- 
ence an  amiable  and  lovely  character,  while  with 


268  EZRA    CORNELL. 

him,  in  the  sterner  walks  of  life,  it  was  the  strong 
lever  with  which  he  was  frequently  enabled  to 
successfully  remove  obstacles  which  could  not  be 
overcome  by  the  use  of  positive  force.  He  was 
possessed  of  this  extremely  valuable  qualification 
in  an  eminent  degree,  and  it  was  an  exceedingly 
potent  factor  in  his  mental  equipment.  This  rare 
gift,  often  controlling  with  wise  intuition  the  forci- 
ble energies  of  his  nature,  was  the  true  secret  of 
much  of  his  exceptional  success  in  life. 

The  predominant,  and  especially  characteristic 
features  of  Mr.  Cornell's  mental  endowment  con- 
sisted of  vigorous  and  original  practical  intelli- 
gence, acuteness  of  perception,  resolute  self-reli- 
ance, calm  and  even  temperament,  independent 
judgment,  and  positive  convictions.  With  a  su- 
perior mind,  endowed  in  marked  degree  with 
sound  common  sense,  supplemented  by  habits  of 
careful  observation  and  reflection,  he  was  remark- 
able for  the  maturity  and  accuracy  of  his  judg- 
ment on  questions  of  practical  utility.  Despite 
the  meagre  facilities  for  education  which  he  was 
permitted  to  enjoy  in  early  life,  few  persons  were 
better  informed  on  all  general  subjects  than  he 
was.  His  studious  habits,  and  peculiar  faculty 
for  improvement,  enabled  him  to  acquire  a  degree 
of  cultivation  which  made  him  in  the  maturity  of 
his  manhood  the  welcome  associate  of  the  most 


FIRMNESS.  269 

distinguished  scholars  in  the  country.  The  ex- 
tent and  diversity  of  his  mental  acquirements 
were  often  the  subject  of  surprise  and  admira- 
tion to  those  aware  of  his  limited  advantages  in 
early  life.  Doubtless  the  broad  and  liberal  cul- 
ture which  he  thus  acquired,  exerted  potent  in- 
fluence in  giving  his  public  benefactions  the  use- 
ful direction  which  so  greatly  distinguished  them. 
The  originality  and  independence  of  Mr.  Cor- 
nell's nature  rendered  him  peculiarly  adventurous 
and  enterprising  in  disposition.  He  was  wholly 
fearless  in  any  venture  which  secured  his  confi- 
dence or  enlisted  his  sympathies,  and  the  immi- 
nence of  danger  only  served  to  arouse  his  cour- 
age and  engage  his  energies.  With  a  peculiar 
modesty  and  gentleness  of  disposition,  he  was 
slow  to  controversy,  but  stern  and  unyielding  in 
a  contest  forced  upon  him,  especially  where  the 
issue  involved  the  defence  of  unquestioned  rights 
or  the  maintenance  of  vital  principles.  His  integ- 
rity was  unimpeachable,  and  was  never  brought 
in  question  except  through  the  mouths  of  vile  and 
wicked  slanderers,  who  hoped  by  the  utterance  of 
falsehood  to  injure  him  and  diminish  his  ability  to 
serve  the  great  cause  in  which  he  was  so  thor- 
oughly enlisted,  and  to  which  he  contributed  so 
much  of  material  aid  and  valuable  personal  ser- 
vice. In  fidelity  he  was  true  as  the  needle  to  the 


2/0  EZRA    CORNELL. 

pole,  to  whatever  cause  he  was  committed.  If  the 
object  was  worthy  of  real  and  earnest  support,  no 
divided  or  half-hearted  allegiance  satisfied  him. 

o 

With  him  whatever  was  worth  doing  at  all  was 
worthy  of  all  requisite  effort  for  its  complete  suc- 
cess. 

Perfect  manhood  depends  not  so  much  on  the 
abnormal  illustration  of  some  particular  talent, 
however  admirable  in  itself,  as  upon  the  harmoni- 
ous development  of  the  more  important  traits  of 
ordinary  personal  character.  Genius,  which  may 
command  the  admiration  of  the  world,  is  not  in- 
frequently marred  by  combination  with  inexcus- 
able defects.  Considering  all  features  of  Mr. 
Cornell's  especial  individuality,  as  recognized  by 
those  familiar  with  the  details  of  his  career,  the 
general  verdict  of  impartial  observers  could  not 
fail  to  credit  him  with  marked  superiority  in  the 
complete  development  of  the  qualities  which 
adorn  human  character.  Without  pretence  to 
any  especially  attractive  or  brilliant  talent,  with 
no  attributes  of  genius,  he  was  eminently  prac- 
tical in  natural  ability  and  acquired  attainments. 
Untiring  devotion  to  useful  pursuits,  guided  by  su- 
perior intelligence  and  perfect  integrity,  enabled 
him  to  achieve  great  results  in  business  enter- 
prises, and  in  the  splendid  munificence  of  his  pub- 
lic benefactions. 


PERSONALITY. 

There  was  a  natural  dignity,  and  manliness  of 
bearing,  which,  in  any  presence,  could  not  fail  to 
identify  Mr.  Cornell  as  an  individual  of  superior 
instincts  and  exceptional  personality.  Standing 
about  six  feet  in  height  in  the  maturity  of  physi- 
cal development,  he  acquired  in  later  years  a 
habit  of  stooping  forward — more  commonly  de- 
scribed as  round-shouldered — which  detracted 
somewhat  from  the  commanding  appearance  of 
his  earlier  life.  His  ordinary  weight  was  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  His  features 
were  rugged  and  strongly  marked  with  prom- 
inent cheek-bones.  When  in  repose  there  was 
an  apparent  hardness  of  expression,  which  quickly 
melted  into  a  winning  and  attractive  smile  upon  a 
friendly  approach.  Though  habitually  reticent 
in  speech  and  ordinarily  reserved  in  manner,  he 
was  of  a  peculiarly  cheerful  disposition,  and  when 
engaged  in  social  discourse  was  a  most  agreeable 
and  instructive  companion.  In  conversation  which 
interested  him  he  was  animated,  while,  as  a  friend- 
ly disputant  in  the  discussion  of  a  definite  sub- 
ject, he  was  accustomed  to  maintain  an  argument 
with  fervor  and  effectiveness.  Temperate  in  his 
usual  habit,  almost  to  total  abstinence,  moderation 
and  sobriety  were  the  inflexible  rules  of  his  life. 
His  tastes  were  simple,  and  his  personal  expenses 
inconsiderable.  Economical  in  useless  expendi- 


2/2  EZRA    CORNELL. 

tures,  his  generous  liberality  found  expression  in 
what  he  considered  ways  of  practical  usefulness. 

Naturally  unassuming  in  manner  and  personal 
bearing,  with  a  friendly  but  undemonstrative  cor- 
diality which  was  especially  characteristic  of  his 
Quaker  descent,  there  was  a  quiet  self-possessed 
dignity  in  Mr.  Cornell's  ordinary  demeanor,  which 
was  well  calculated  to  put  strangers  quite  at  ease 
in  approaching  him.  The  modest,  unaffected  sim- 
plicity of  character  which  was  particularly  notice- 
able in  him,  continued  without  change  through 

O  O 

all  of  the  evolutions  and  vicissitudes  of  his  extra- 
ordinary career.  The  unpretending,  laborious 
mechanic,  striving  to  establish  himself  in  a  new 
community,  was  the  same  self-possessed  and  un- 
ostentatious individual,  as  the  opulent  millionaire, 
whose  munificent  liberality  had  rendered  his  name 
familiar  to  the  entire  civilized  world.  The  gener- 
ous patron  of  higher  education,  laboring  to  de- 
velop and  render  available  the  inherent  value  of 
the  Land  Grant,  was  the  same  earnest,  hard 
working  man,  as  the  enterprising  telegraph  pion- 
eer devoting  all  of  the  energies  of  his  vigorous 
personality  to  the  pursuit  of  successful  fortune. 
Neither  prosperity,  nor  the  exacting  cares  of  ad- 
vancing years,  effected  any  visible  change  in  the 
cordiality  with  which  he  was  accustomed  to  meet 
the  humble  associates  of  early  life. 


SIMPLICITY.  273 

Pertinent  and  very  convincing  evidence  of  the 
impression  made  upon  the  students  of  the  Uni- 
versity by  the  simple,  unpretending  appearance 
of  the  honored  Founder,  was  recently  given  by 
an  intelligent  and  observing  member  of  an  early 
class,  who  has  since  achieved  enviable  distinc- 
tion in  one  of  the  chief  cities  of  the  State.  The 
occasion  of  his  remarks  was  the  annual  social 
gathering  of  an  alumni  association,  when  reminis- 
cences of  college  life  were  the  subject  of  comment. 
Speaking  of  the  crude  condition  and  unfinished 
appearance  of  the  University  establishment  in 
its  early  years,  and  the  disposition  of  many  stu- 
dents to  find  fault  therewith,  he  said,  lt  Nothing 
quieted  the  discontent  so  effectively  as  the  ear- 
nest and  devoted  labors  of  Mr.  Cornell  in  striving 
to  push  the  unfinished  buildings  and  grounds  to 
completion,  and  to  remove  every  just  cause  of 
complaint.  Many  of  us  had  never  seen  a  million- 
aire before,  and  when  we  saw  him  in  modest  garb, 
giving  attention  to  our  comfort  and  contentment 
with  the  simplicity  of  an  ordinary  man,  we  were 
filled  with  amazement."  He  also  attributed  much 
of  the  spirit  and  success  of  the  early  graduates  of 
the  University  to  the  wholesome  influence  of  this 
very  impressive  example. 

The  very  magnitude  of  his  public  contributions 
tends  to  obscure,  and  by  comparison  to  dwarf,  the 

18 


2/4  EZRA    CORNELL. 

private  benefactions  which  Mr.  Cornell  was  con- 
stantly bestowing  in  response  to  innumerable  ap- 
peals to  his  unfailing  generosity.  The  story  of 
misfortune  was  sure  to  find  a  sympathetic  listener 
in  him,  and  to  secure  prompt  and  practical  assis- 
tance at  his  hands.  He  delighted  especially  in 
helping  those  who  were  striving  to  help  them- 
selves, and  a  long  list  could  be  given  of  those 
whose  success  in  life  was  due  to  his  kindly  pat- 
ronage and  encouragement.  Nor  would  the  list 
be  complete,  without  embracing  the  names  of 
several  individuals,  who  have  become  millionaires 
from  the  initiatory  aid  rendered  them  by  Mr.  Cor- 
nell. The  poor  boy  ambitious  of  acquiring  a  lib- 
eral education,  but  without  means  to  gratify  his 
worthy  aspiration,  never  appealed  to  him  in  vain. 
As  a  general  rule,  this  class  of  beneficiaries  re- 
warded their  patron  and  his  memory  with  grateful 
appreciation  of  his  timely  assistance.  Due  regard 
for  the  truth  of  history,  however,  compels  the 
statement,  discreditable  as  it  must  appear  to  every 
instinct  of  manhood,  that  this  result  did  not  in 
every  instance  follow  his  generous  patronage.  A 
single  exception,  however,  perfidious  though  it 
may  seem,  is  perhaps  valuable  in  demonstrating  the 
general  uniformity  of  the  prevailing  appreciation. 
In  the  usual  intercourse  of  every-day  life,  Mr. 
Cornell  was  reserved  in  expression  far  beyond  the 


THE   GOLDEN  RULE.  2/5 

ordinary  range  of  individuals.  This  was  caused 
by  neither  austerity  nor  the  lack  of  a  genial 
disposition,  but  was  the  result  of  his  peculiar  or- 
ganization. He  was  more  of  a  thinker  than  a 
talker.  Naturally  a  man  of  few  words,  as  he 
matured  in  years  this  tendency  was  increased  in 
consequence  of  his  habitual  mental  occupation. 
While  this  was  his  custom  in  reference  to  matters 
of  worldly  interest,  it  was  still  more  so  in  regard 
to  spiritual  affairs.  This  habitual  reticence  can- 
not, however,  be  interpreted  as  an  evidence  of  his 
indifference  as  to  religious  questions.  On  the 
contrary,  there  were  many  indications  that  he  was 
a  person  of  more  than  ordinary  religious  feeling. 
Though  these  were  incidental  in  character,  they 
were  sufficient  to  demonstrate  beyond  question 
the  nature  of  the  impulses  which  prompted  them. 
He  was  frequently  accustomed  to  quote  in  rever- 
ent manner,  expressions  from  the  Great  Book  of 
Life,  which  indicated  much  familiarity  with  its  con- 
tents. To  him  the  word  of  God  was  indeed  a 
higher  law,  which  he  believed,  if  faithfully  accepted 
and  relied  upon,  would  shield  the  humble  follower 
of  the  cross  from  all  harm.  "  Do  unto  others  as 
ye  would  that  they  do  unto  you,"  was  with  him 
a  favorite  maxim,  and  observed  with  great  fidelity. 
Although  there  is  probably  no  existing  means 
of  demonstrating  the  fact,  there  can  be  little  if  any 


2/6  EZRA    CORNELL. 

reasonable  doubt,  that  the  action  of  the  Friends' 
Society  at  De  Ruyter,  in  expelling  Mr.  Cornell 
from  membership  therein  as  a  penalty  for  marry- 
ing out  of  the  Church,  exerted  a  continued  in- 
fluence over  him  through  all  of  his  subsequent 
life.  His  distant  residence,  away  from  any  soci- 
ety of  Friends,  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to 
contest  the  action  of  those  who  undertook  to  ad- 
minister the  discipline.  He  vigorously  disputed 
their  right  to  take  such  action,  but  there  was 
no  earthly  tribunal  available  to  take  jurisdiction 
of  his  appeal.  His  only  practical  remedy  was 
in  direct,  silent  communion  with  his  Heavenly 
Father,  and  this  mode  of  worship  was  ever  after 
the  form  which  he  observed.  He  held  himself 
aloof  from  connection  with  other  churches,  as  an 
evidence  of  his  faithfulness  to  the  form  of  worship 
from  which  he  felt  that  he  had  been  unjustly  and 
wrongfully  excluded.  He  refused  to  recognize  the 
right  of  any  church  organization  to  place  them- 
selves between  him  and  the  Divine  Master,  and 
attempt  to  exclude  him  from  the  right  of  worship. 
Beyond  this  he  felt  that  the  condition  attached  to 
his  expulsion,  of  reinstatement  upon  his  rendering 
an  apology  and  expressing  regret  for  his  action, 
was  wholly  inconsistent,  to  comply  with  which 
would  be  to  dishonor  himself.  He,  therefore, 
firmly  and  persistently  refused. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

LAST  ILLNESS. 

Vigorous  Constitution. — General  Good  Health. — Promised  Lon- 
gevity.— Fatal  Exposure. — Sudden  Attack  of  Pneumonia. — 
Extreme  Prostration. — Languishing  Weakness. — Financial 
Burdens. — Physicians  plead  for  Exemption  from  Business 
Cares. — Attempted  Relief. — Menaced  by  Rigorous  Weather. 
— Relapse. — Final  Rest. 

WITH  the  inheritance  of  a  superb  constitution, 
developed  by  vigorous,  industrious  habits,  and 
sustained  by  temperate  practices,  it  was  as  a 
general  rule  Mr.  Cornell's  good  fortune,  through 
all  of  his  life,  to  be  favored  with  more  than  an  or- 
dinary degree  of  health  and  strength.  Though  in 
a  few  instances  subjected  to  brief  illness,  his  recov- 
ery was  always  prompt  and  complete.  His  father 
lived  to  the  good  old  age  of  more  than  ninety  years, 
in  the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health,  and  blessed 
by  a  kind  Providence  with  the  possession  of  un- 
impaired faculties.  With  this  remarkable  longev- 
ity as  the  basis  of  expectation,  it  was  not  strange 
that  the  friends  of  Mr.  Cornell  fondly  hoped  for 
the  continuance  of  his  useful,  philanthropic  life 


278  EZRA    CORNELL. 

through  many  years  of  gently  declining  maturity, 
that  he  might  be  permitted  with  them  to  enjoy  the 
development  of  the  great  work  of  higher  educa- 
tion which  his  generous  beneficence  had  done  so 
much  to  establish  and  endow.  This  cherished 
hope,  however,  was  destined  to  suffer  cruel  dis- 
appointment, for  while  still  in  the  enjoyment  of 
apparent  good  health,  and  considerably  within  the 
limit  of  three  score  and  ten,  he  was  suddenly 
stricken  with  disease,  which,  after  a  languishing 
sickness  of  six  months'  duration,  closed  his  earthly 
career,  and  plunged  an  entire  community  into  the 
depths  of  mourning. 

The  fatal  illness  sounded  its  first  dreaded  note 
of  alarm  on  the  ninth  day  of  June,  1874.  On  that 
day,  Mr.  Cornell  was  prostrated  by  an  attack  of 
pneumonia,  of  such  severity  as  to  confine  him  to 
the  bed.  The  disease  was  supposed  to  have  been 
the  result  of  a  severe  cold,  contracted  by  his  un- 
conscious exposure,  while  sleeping  without  ade- 
quate protection,  to  an  extraordinary  change  of 
temperature,  which  occurred  during  the  night,  in 
travelling  by  the  Erie  Railway  from  New  York  to 
Elmira.  Before  the  dangerous  character  of  the 
disease  had  made  itself  clearly  apparent,  it  had 
made  serious  progress  in  its  course,  and  had  be- 
come thoroughly  seated  on  the  lungs.  From  the 
very  beginning,  the  skill  of  his  medical  attendants 


PROSTRATION.  279 

was  completely  baffled,  and  their  efforts  to  check 
the  ravages  of  the  malady  were  quite  ineffectual. 

The  patient  was  extremely  debilitated,  and  un- 
able to  leave  his  bed  for  several  weeks.  Slowly  the 
weeks  succeeded  each  other,  and  lengthened  into 
months,  and  still  the  tiresome  cough  continued, 
and  the  prostrating  weakness  remained,  to  hold 
him  a  helpless  prisoner  writhin  the  house.  Finally, 
as  the  summer  waned,  a  slightly  improved  con- 
dition enabled  him  to  visit  New  York  and  the  sea 
shore,  with  the  hope  that  a  change  of  air  and  sur- 
roundings might  prove  beneficial.  This,  however, 
turned  out  to  be  delusive,  as  no  material  improve- 
ment was  manifested  in  the  appearance  of  his 
symptoms,  and  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Ithaca, 
after  an  absence  of  several  weeks,  in  much  the 
same  state  of  debility  as  before.  If  there  was  any 
improvement,  it  was  so  slight  as  not  to  be  appar- 
ent to  the  kind  friends  who  so  fondly  watched  and 
prayed  for  his  recovery. 

Earnestly,  but  in  vain,  did  the  medical  attend- 
ants demand  the  seclusion  of  their  patient  from 
the  pressing  anxieties  of  business.  This  they  de- 
clared to  be  indispensable  to  recovery,  and  that 
without  this  precaution  their  efforts  in  his  behalf 
must  prove  futile.  Such  a  course  seemed,  how- 
ever, quite  impossible  in  consequence  of  the  pecu- 
liar circumstances  which  surrounded  him.  While 


280  EZRA    CORNELL. 

he  was  relieved  from  every  possible  annoyance, 
there  were  certain  details  of  business  which  could 
only  be  solved  by  Mr.  Cornell's  personal  con- 
sideration and  direction.  Even  the  attempt  to 
keep  the  less  important  matters  from  his  atten- 
tion, failed  in  great  measure  to  accomplish  the  de- 
sired result,  as  it  was  inevitably  known  to  him 
that  many  interests  were  suffering  for  his  personal 
supervision,  and  thus  the  exciting  cause  of  ap- 
prehension was  ever  present,  and  weighing  on 
his  mind.  As  the  autumn  was  approaching,  it 
became  more  than  ever  manifest  that  he  could  not 
safely  encounter  the  rigors  of  the  coming  winter, 
and  much  consideration  was  given  to  the  practi- 
cability of  his  seeking  a  more  genial  climate  for 
the  winter  months.  The  emergencies  of  his  bus- 
iness affairs,  however,  forbade  his  absence  from 
the  vicinity  of  his  home,  and  hence  the  plan  was 
reluctantly  abandoned. 

Never  before,  perhaps,  in  the  course  of  his  en- 
tire career,  had  there  been  a  period  when  ability 
to  devote  personal  attention  to  business  affairs 
had  been  so  necessary,  and,  indeed,  so  vital  to 
Mr.  Cornell's  material  interests,  as  at  the  particu- 
lar time  of  his  sudden  prostration.  A  peculiar 
combination  of  circumstances  seemed  to  desig- 
nate it  as  the  crisis  of  his  notable  career.  The 
self-assumed  burdens  of  the  land  grant  contract, 


SEEKING  RELIEF.  28 1 

and  the  uncompleted  railroads,  were  bearing  their 
cruel  weights  upon  him,  and  he  had  need  of  every 
facility  and  every  faculty  at  his  command.  Con- 
fronted by  financial  complications  of  great  magni- 
tude, at  a  period  of  serious  monetary  derangement, 
the  successful  solution  of  his  plans  of  operation, 
depended,  of  course,  largely  on  the  stability  of 
his  personal  credit,  already  so  seriously  disturbed. 
It  can,  therefore,  easily  be  appreciated  how  ex- 
tremely embarrassing  must  have  been  a  severe 
and  long-continued  illness  under  such  circum- 
stances. There  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that 
the  peculiar  situation  in  which  he  was  then  placed, 
contributed  greatly  to  aggravate  the  malady  under 
which  he  was  suffering,  and  to  prevent  the  recov- 
ery of  strength  which  might  otherwise  have  been 
restored  to  him.  The  unavoidable  mental  depres- 
sion incident  to  an  occasion  of  such  perilous  anx- 
iety, could  not  fail  to  produce  that  result. 

Continued  weakness  and  inability  to  resume 
active  personal  attention  to  business,  rendered  im- 
perative the  necessity  of  relief  from  every  burden 
which  could  possibly  be  avoided.  Yielding  to 
this  necessity,  Mr.  Cornell  was  finally,  but  reluc- 
tantly, induced  to  request  the  trustees  of  the  Uni- 
versity to  assume  the  independent  management  of 
the  business  under  the  land  grant  contract,  and 
thus  relieve  him  from  this  great  responsibility. 


282  EZRA    COKNELL. 

This  proposition  was  promptly  and  very  commend- 
ably  accepted  by  the  board,  and,  upon  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  of 
the  State,  the  contract,  together  with  all  of  the 
business  incident  to  it,  was  formally  transferred  to 
the  custody  of  the  University  authorities,  in  the 
month  of  November.  A  contract  was  also  con- 
cluded about  the  same  time,  under  which  other 
parties  undertook  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
necessary  funds  for  finishing  the  Utica,  Ithaca,  & 
Elmira  road,  and  connecting  its  hitherto  separate 
sections  ready  for  complete  operation,  thus  reliev- 
ing Mr.  Cornell  from  the  necessity  of  making 
further  provision  for  this  great  work.  Although 
these  arrangements  were  highly  important  in  the 
extent  of  relief  which  was  thus  afforded  in  a  finan- 
cial direction,  he  was  still  left  with  the  care  of  the 
Geneva  road,  which  yet  required  a  large  invest- 
ment to  complete  its  adequate  equipment,  and  to 
successfully  place  it  on  a  prosperous,  self-sustain- 
ing basis. 

Despite  the  extraordinary  business  embarrass- 
ments, incident  to  the  wearisome  months  of  con- 
finement, there  was  throughout  the  entire  course 
of  his  prolonged,  painful  illness,  an  exhibition 
of  patient  fortitude  and  Christian  resignation  on 
the  part  of  Mr.  Cornell,  which  was  indeed  mar- 
vellous. Calmly  relying  on  the  mercy  of  his  Di- 


FORTITUDE.  283 

vine  Master,  he  could  await  upon  His  appointed 
time  with  perfect  repose  and  hopeful  confidence. 
No  word  of  complaint  nor  repining  was  heard  to 
escape  his  lips  during  all  of  the  tiresome  period 
of  his  prostration.  Devoutly  anxious  for  recov- 
ery, that  he  might  be  permitted  to  complete  the 
labors  which  interested  him  so  deeply,  there  was 
in  the  composition  of  his  character,  an  indescribable 
element  of  self-control,  which  enabled  him  to  ex- 
ercise patient  forbearance  even  in  the  face  of  the 
most  depressing  discouragement.  Familiar  to  an 
unusual  degree  with  the  conflicts  of  life,  nothing 
in  all  his  past  experience  compared  in  magnitude 
with  these  later  tribulations. 

True  to  the  warnings  of  his  physicians,  the  ap- 
proach of  winter  weather  proved  too  severe  for 
the  weakened  system  of  the  now  confirmed  in- 
valid. The  painful  cough,  from  which  he  had 
never  been  relieved,  increased  in  its  severity,  and 
the  general  symptoms  became  more  alarming. 
The  years  of  labor  which  Mr.  Cornell  had  so  gen- 
erously devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  University 
and  of  Ithaca,  had  exhausted  too  much  of  the  vi- 
tality of  his  naturally  robust  constitution,  and  the 
powers  of  recuperation  seemed  wholly  wanting. 
Relief  from  a  portion  of  business  cares  had  come 
too  late  to  be  of  any  practical  benefit  in  the  pro- 
longation of  his  life.  A  slight  cold,  resulting 


284  EZRA    CORNELL. 

from  exposure  at  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Uni- 
versity trustees,  aggravated  the  disease  under 
which  he  was  suffering ;  his  cough  increased,  and 
his  strength  gradually  wasted,  until,  on  the  ninth 
day  of  December,  1874,  he  was  called  to  his  final 
rest,  just  six  months  from  the  commencement  of 
his  illness.  To  the  very  end  of  his  life  did  the 
wonderful  energy  of  his  nature  manifest  itself.  On 
the  last  morning,  with  scarcely  strength  to  stand, 
he  arose  from  his  bed  and  was  dressed,  against 
the  protestations  of  his  wife.  He  had  in  mind 
some  affairs  of  business,  to  which  he  desired  to 
give  attention,  and  was  thus  occupied  during  a 
portion  of  the  morning.  Overcome  by  weakness, 
however,  he  was  forced  to  seek  his  couch  without 
having  fully  completed  his  work,  and  the  final  end 
was  reached  shortly  after  noon.  He  was  at  the 
time  of  his  death  sixty-seven  years,  ten  months, 
and  twenty-eight  days  of  age,  thus  lacking  more 
than  twenty-two  years  of  reaching  the  age  at- 
tained by  his  father. 

Thus,  in  the  shadow  of  sore  trials,  and  bitter 
disappointments,  closed  the  life  of  the  generous- 
hearted  and  enlightened  philanthropist.  Would 
that  his  useful  and  laborious  career  could  have 
been  ended,  rather,  in  the  mellow  twilight  of  en- 
deavors accomplished  and  conflicts  ended.  With 
what  supreme  satisfaction  he  could  have  watched 


FINAL   REST.  285 

the  gradual  but  constant  advancement  of  the  Uni- 
versity, toward  that  high  standard  which  he  had 
so  confidently  fixed  in  his  mind  as  its  ultimate 
achievement.  Commencing  life  without  the  aid 
of  advantageous  circumstances,  with  only  such 
moderate  opportunities  for  early  cultivation  as  were 
available  to  the  son  of  a  pioneer  farmer,  unaided 
and  alone,  Mr.  Cornell,  conquering  adverse  influ- 
ences and  conditions,  achieved  great  fortune  as 
the  recompense  of  intelligent,  praiseworthy  en- 
terprise. Without  ostentation,  or  pretentious  dis- 
play, he  devoted  with  unexampled  liberality  the 
abundant  fruits  of  his  eminent  success  to  the  in- 
tellectual advancement  of  the  coming  generations 
of  mankind,  with  the  modest  spirit  and  grand 
purpose  of  a  true-hearted  public  benefactor. 
The  death  of  such  a  character,  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, could  not  fail  to  create  an  impressive 
sensation.  Under  the  extremely  painful  condi- 
tions which  attended  the  later  months  of  Mr. 
Cornell's  life,  there  was  much  to  arouse  public 
interest  and  enlist  the  earnest  sympathies  not 
only  of  friends  and  neighbors,  but  as  well  of  the 
entire  community. 

Though  by  no  means  an  unexpected  occur- 
rence, on  account  of  the  wide  publicity  which 
had  attended  his  prolonged  illness,  the  announce- 
ment of  Mr.  Cornell's  lamented  death  was  re- 


286  EZRA    CORNELL. 

ceived  with  painful  emotions  and  many  striking 
manifestations  of  grief,  not  only  by  the  community 
which  claimed  him  as  its  especial  possession,  but 
as  well  by  a  wide  circle  of  sympathizing  friends 
throughout  the  State,  and,  indeed,  in  many  por- 
tions of  the  country  at  large. 

This  melancholy  event  was  the  occasion  of 
much  sorrowful  comment  and  unusual  observation 
at  Ithaca,  as  well  as  in  many  other  places  in  the 
State.  Expressions  of  sympathy  and  testimonials 
of  affectionate  attachment  were  tendered  from 
every  quarter.  Formal  tributes  of  respectful  con- 
sideration and  appreciation  were  adopted  by  many 
organizations  with  which  the  departed  had  been 
associated  in  his  life-time,  and  others  with  which 
he  had  no  direct  connection.  As  an  appropriate 
conclusion  of  this  simple  record  of  the  devoted 
labors  of  this  unselfish  public  benefactor,  the  final 
chapters  will  be  reserved  for  the  presentation  of 
some  of  the  many  public  tributes,  and  a  some- 
what detailed  account  of  the  funeral  observances 
in  honor  of  his  memory. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

PUBLIC  TRIBUTES. 

General  Sympathy. — Ithaca  "Daily  Journal." — Froude's  Trib- 
ute.— Formal  Expressions. — Cornell  University. — Cornell  Li- 
brary.— Western  Union  Telegraph  Company. — Village  Trus- 
tees.— Students. — Ithaca  Savings  Bank. — Board  of  Education. 
— Geneva,  Ithaca  &  Athens  Railroad. — Agricultural  Society. 
— Presbyterian  Church. — Proclamation  of  Village  President. — 
Founder's  Hymn. 

CONSTANTLY  advancing  in  their  daily  progress  to- 
ward the  eternal  world,  men  become  accustomed 
to  the  occurrence  of  death,  and  only  the  departure 
of  one  held  in  extraordinary  public  estimation,  will 
cause  an  entire  community  to  abandon  their  or- 
dinary avocations,  and  stand  by  an  open  grave. 
Beyond  any  precedent  in  the  history  of  Ithaca,  the 
death  of  Mr.  Cornell  aroused  a  feeling  of  sym- 
pathy, and  brought  forth  an  expression  of  the 
sense  of  public  loss  which  had  been  sustained.  To 
recall,  with  the  full  force  of  contemporaneous  ob- 
servation, the  depth  of  public  feeling  which  was 
induced  by  the  sad  event,  the  following  expres- 
sions and  reports  of  formal  proceedings  taken  in 
honor  of  his  memory,  are  reproduced  from  the 


288  EZRA    CORNELL. 

columns  of  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal,  of  the  sev- 
eral dates  indicated  : 

DEATH  OF  EZRA  CORNELL. 
[From  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal,  December  gth.} 

Ezra  Cornell  is  gone.  His  death  occurred  at  twenty-five  min- 
utes past  one  o'clock  this  afternoon,  after  an  illness  of  six  months' 
duration,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  ten  months,  and  twenty- 
eight  days. 

We  can  hardly  realize  the  magnitude  of  the  loss,  not  merely  to 
his  family,  but  to  this  whole  community.  No  citizen  has  ever  left 
us  whose  life  was  so  interwoven  with  all  that  has  created  and  as- 
sured our  prosperity. 

A  generous,  large-hearted  man  ;  utterly  unselfish  in  every  re- 
spect ;  ready  to  make  almost  any  sacrifice  to  attain  some  great  and 
general  good  ;  resolute  in  what  he  believed  to  be  right  and  just ; 
but  yielding  and  sympathetic  to  every  story  of  misfortune,  and  to 
the  sufferings  and  troubles  of  others  ;  far-seeing  and  sagacious, 
but  also  hopeful  and  enthusiastic  in  the  pursuit  of  noble  ends  ;  he 
has  left  behind  him  a  name  worthy  to  be  remembered,  and,  es- 
pecially, by  the  citizens  of  this  village,  for  whose  welfare  and 
prosperity  he  planned  so  skilfully  and  labored  with  so  much  unflag- 
ging energy. 

He  has  built  his  own  monument  upon  our  hills.  The  great  bell 
of  the  University  he  founded  is  tolling  heavily  and  solemnly  as  we 
write.  Every  heart  in  our  midst  feels  the  bereavement  almost  as 
a  personal  loss.  We  can  write  no  more  to-day.  When  the  sense 
of  grief  and  sorrow  has  lost  some  of  its  first  severity,  we  hope  to 
do  better  justice  to  the  memory  of  Ezra  Cornell. 

EZRA  CORNELL  is  DEAD. 
[From  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal,  December  loth.} 

It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  the  full  import  of  these  cruel  words. 
The  poignancy  of  the  first  grief  at  a  great,  an  irreparable  loss,  has 
something  of  the  numbing  effect  upon  the  senses  of  a  violent 


PUBLIC  SYMPATHY.  289 

shock  to  the  physical  frame.  We  are  at  such  times  stunned  and 
bewildered,  and  find  it  almost  impossible  to  realize  the  fact,  much 
less  the  extent,  of  our  bereavement.  Such  is  our  condition  to-day. 
We  know  that  the  emblems  of  woe  on  every  hand — the  tolling 
bells,  the  sombre  drapings  of  the  whole  town,  the  flags  at  half 
mast  ;  and  more  than  all  these,  the  sorrow-stricken  countenances 
and  the  subdued  voices  and  manners  of  his  neighbors,  attest  the 
painful  fact.  And  yet  we  cannot  realize  it.  We  cannot  think  of 
Ithaca  without  Ezra  Cornell  ;  cannot  conceive  how  one  is  to  go  on 
without  the  other.  They  seemed  to  be  at  least  as  closely  con- 
nected as  a  wise  and  prudent  father  and  his  family.  We  often  see 
cases  in  domestic  life  where  a  noble  and  sagacious  father  seems  to 
be  in  reality  the  head  of  the  family — the  superior  member,  to 
whom  all  the  other  members  look  for  advice  and  guidance,  upon 
whom  all  depend  for  support.  How  frequently  we  say  of  such  a 
family  :  "  I  don't  know  what  Mr.  Blank's  family  would  do  if  he 
were  to  be  taken  away/'  Such  were,  more  nearly  than  any  other 
simile  which  occurs  to  us,  the  relations  of  Ezra  Cornell  to  Ithaca. 
In  the  very  few  public  or  private  movements,  within  the  past  twenty- 
five  years,  for  the  advancement  of  our  interests  as  a  community — 
pecuniary,  moral,  social,  or  educational — which  Mr.  Cornell  did 
not  originate,  the  first  question  asked  of  the  projectors  was,  "  Have 
you  seen  Ezra  Cornell?  He  will  take  hold  of  the  work  ;  and  if  he 
is  for  you,  no  one  will  be  against  you,  and  success  is  assured,  if 
success  be  possible."  We  do  not  now  speak  of  his  greatest  work — 
the  founding  of  the  great  University  which  bears  his  name.  For 
this  he  is  known  and  will  be  lamented  by  all  men  wherever  noble 
and  generous  deeds  are  held  in  grateful  memory.  But  we  mourn, 
chiefly,  Ezra  Cornell  the  MAN.  We  knew  him  intimately  ;  and 
we  know  that  a  more  lovable  character  has  seldom  appeared 
among  men.  He  was  truly  one  of  Nature's  noblemen.  His  be- 
nevolence was  proverbial,  though  he  judiciously  and  unostenta- 
tiously bestowed  ;  it  was  peculiarly  true  of  him,  if  it  ever  were  of 
any  man,  that  in  his  good  deeds  the  left  hand  knew  not  what  the 
right  hand  did.  His  strict  probity  was  another  salient  point  in  his 
character — no  man  ever  held  in  more  utter  detestation  everything 

19 


290  EZRA    CORNELL. 

that  was  mean  or  dishonorable.  And  yet,  his  large,  magnani- 
mous heart  had  no  room  for  malice.  No  jealousies  or  rankling 
hatreds  ever  clouded  his  judgment.  The  unjust  and  intemperate 
criticisms  of  his  public  or  private  acts  by  ill-informed  or  envious 
critics ;  the  malignant  misrepresentations  and  assaults  of  the 
enemies  of  his  pet  scheme— a  University  "  where  any  person  can 
find  instruction  in  any  study  " — must  have  often  tortured  this  pa- 
tient, tireless  worker  ;  but  they  never  wrung  from  him  a  bitter 
word,  nor  do  we  believe  they  aroused  any  lasting  resentment. 

The  writer  of  this  recalls  an  instance  which  came  under  his  own 
observation,  well  illustrating  this  peculiarly  rare  and  admirable 
trait  of  character.  It  chanced  that  he  was  coming  from  New  York 
City  in  company  with  Mr.  Cornell  on  the  day  on  which  a  violent 
and  venomous  speech  had  been  made  in  the  Legislature,  in  which 
it  was  charged,  in  effect,  that  Mr.  Cornell  was  a  scheming  specula- 
tor in  the  guise  of  a  generous  benefactor.  Neither  Mr.  Cornell 
nor  the  writer  had  heard  of  this  speech.  Arriving  at  Owego  at  an 
early  hour  the  following  morning,  where  both  had  to  remain  some 
time  awaiting  the  train  for  Ithaca,  both  repaired  to  a  neighboring 
hotel  to  pass  the  intervening  time.  Here  a  copy  of  the  Elmira 
Advertiser  of  that  morning,  containing  a  telegraphic  report  of  the 
speech,  was  handed  us.  After  glancing  over  the  startling  head- 
lines, and  the  points  of  the  bitter  attack  which  followed,  we 
handed  the  paper  to  Mr.  Cornell,  with  the  remark  :  "  They  have 
been  cutting  you  up  badly  down  at  Albany,  I  see  ; "  and  then  cu- 
riously watched  his  countenance  while  he  carefully  perused  the 
whole  article.  No  trace  of  excitement  or  unwonted  emotion  was 
visible  there.  After  its  perusal  he  remained  in  a  reverie  for  a  mo- 
ment, when  he  said,  quietly  :  "  Well,  time,  that  sets  all  things 
right,  will  demonstrate  the  falsity  of  these  charges  ;  I  can  wait." 
No  excitement,  not  the  faintest  tinge  of  resentment  in  his  man- 
ner or  in  the  tones  of  his  voice.  That  was  the  manner  of  man  he 
was,  in  that  view  of  his  character.  "  True  and  firm  "  was  his 
motto  ;  and  never  was  armorial  legend  more  fairly  won.  But  he 
might  have  added  another,  his  greatest  quality,  we  think — "  Pa- 
tient." We  never  knew  a  man  so  patient  as  he,  never  knew  one 


TRIBUTES.  291 

who  had  such  an  unfaltering,  invincible  faith  in  the  justice  of  Time. 
To  his  eyes  Time  was  truly  the  "avenger."  He  was  indifferent  to 
the  misconstruction  and  misrepresentations  of  the  present ;  but  if 
his  faith  in  the  justice  of  posterity's  verdict  could  have,  for  a  mo- 
ment, been  shaken,  that  great  heart  would  have  burst.  We  never 
witnessed  so  grand  a  faith  in  the  future — such  self-abnegation  in 
the  present  as  this  man's  hopes,  plans,  and  works  evinced. 

Of  the  millions  which  our  departed  friend  gave  to  the  public, 
more  peculiarly  to  us — the  University,  the  Library,  the  railroads 
—some  idea  can  be  gained  from  public  records  and  from  an  obit- 
uary which  appears  in  another  place  in  this  issue  of  the  "Journal. 
But  of  his  frequent,  almost  continuous  benefactions  for  the  relief 
of  private  persons,  or  for  the  aid  of  private  institutions,  little  is 
known  or  ever  will  be  known  to  the  general  public.  The  quiet, 
unobtrusive  way  in  which  he  gave  accounts  for  this.  But  hundreds 
of  the  recipients  of  his  bounty  do  not  forget  and  never  can  forget 
his  generosity.  One  of  these  met  the  writer  of  this  this  morning, 
and  related,  with  a  voice  tremulous  with  emotion,  how  he  had  been 
employed  with  his  team  in  the  construction  of  the  "  Cornell  Li- 
brary "  building,  one  of  Mr.  Cornell's  gifts  to  Ithaca,  and  how  one 
of  his  horses,  by  striking  his  ankle  against  a  rock,  received  a  wound 
from  which  he  bled  to  death  in  a  short  time  ;  and  how,  while  he  was 
mourning  his  loss,  which  he  could  ill  afford,  Mr.  Cornell  called 
upon  him  and,  after  inquiring  the  value  of  the  horse,  drew  a  check 
for  the  amount  and  handed  it  to  him,  remarking,  with  a  smile,  "  I 
presume  I  can  better  than  you  afford  to  lose  the  horse." 

But  we  cannot  continue  these  reminiscences.  If  we  were  to 
merely  notice  the  instances  of  his  noble  generosity  which  come 
thronging  to  our  memory,  we  should  require  a  quarto  volume,  at 
least. 

Mr.  Cornell  was  a  man  of  marked  ability,  possessing  a  remark- 
ably strong,  vigorous,  active  mind.  Deprived  of  early  advantages 
of  instruction  such  as  the  youth  of  to-day  enjoy,  his  education  was 
deficient.  He  was  not  a  cultured  man.  But  he  was  altogether  too 
large  a  man  to  affect  any  accomplishments  which  he  had  not,  and 
hence  never  appeared  awkward  or  seemed  to  be  in  a  false  position 


2Q2  EZRA    CORNELL. 

among  the  learned  and  refined,  with  whom  he  was  thrown  so  much 
in  contact  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  All  such  soon  found 
that  Mr.  Cornell's  head  was  a  very  good  match  for  the  books,  and 
he  soon  came  to  be  the  most  trusted  counsellor  in  all  the  practical 
affairs  of  the  great  works  with  which  he  was  latterly  identified. 
The  history  of  his  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  University  is 
a  marvel  of  sagacity,  patience,  and  indefatigable  industry. 

But  after  all,  it  was  the  qualities  of  the  heart  which  shone  most 
conspicuously  in  the  character  of  Ezra  Cornell.  All  good  people 
admired  and  respected  the  man  who  founded  our  great  University, 
and  who  brought  such  singleness  of  purpose  and  consummate 
ability  to  the  work  of  establishing  it  upon  an  immovable,  a  perma- 
nent basis.  But  those  whose  good  fortune  it  was  to  personally 
know  him  forgot  the  public  benefactor  in  the  MAN.  This  was  so 
without  an  exception.  The  most  eminent  and  cultured,  as  well  as 
those  in  the  humbler  walks  of  life,  felt  this  irresistible  influence  of 
the  moral  greatness  of  the  man.  Goldwin  Smith  and  the  common 
working  man  of  Ithaca  alike  were  proud  to  call  him  friend. 
Among  all  the  wonderful  and  admirable  works  which  that  illustri- 
ous historian,  James  Anthony  Froude,  found  in  his  visit  here,  the 
man  Cornell  commanded  his  greatest  respect,  his  highest  ven- 
eration. Just  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  from  among  us,  Mr. 
Froude  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  our  deceased  friend,  with  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  which  we  proudly,  gratefully  close  this  crude 
and  hasty  sketch  : 

"  Since  I  landed  in  America,  a  few  weeks  ago,  I  have  had  my 
eyes  opened  to  a  great  many  things,  but  I  must  say  I  have  seen 
nothing  which,  perhaps,  astonished  and  even  startled  me  more 
than  I  have  seen  in  Ithaca.  I  will  not  say  Cornell  University 
alone  ;  there  is  something  I  admire  even  more  than  the  University, 
and  that  is  the  quiet,  unpretending  man  by  whom  the  University 
was  founded.  (Cheers.)  I  will  not  say  we  wish  we  had  him  in 
England,  for  if  we  had  him  there  it  would  be  dangerous  to  his  lib- 
erty, as  I  think  we  should  take  him  by  force  and  make  him  Prime 
Minister. 

"  We  have  had  such  men  in  old  times,  and  there  are  men  in  Eng- 


UNIVERSITY  TRUSTEES.  293 

land  who  make  great  fortunes  and  who  make  claim  to  great  munifi- 
cence, but  who  manifest  their  greatness  in  buying  great  estates  and 
building  castles,  for  the  founding  of  peerages  to  be  handed  down 
from  father  to  son.  Mr.  Cornell  has  sought  for  immortality,  and 
the  perpetuity  of  his  name  among  the  people  of  a  free  nation. 
There  stands  his  great  University,  built  upon  a  rock — built  of 
stone,  as  solid  as  a  rock,  to  endure  while  the  American  Nation  en- 
dures, and  that,  I  suppose,  will  be  a  tolerably  long  time. 

"  This  I  can  say,  when  the  herald's  parchment  shall  have  crum- 
bled into  dust,  and  the  antiquarians  are  searching  among  the  tomb- 
stones for  the  records  of  these  departed  families,  Mr.  Cornell's 
name  will  be  still  fresh  and  green,  through  generation  after  gen- 
eration." 


TESTIMONIALS   OF    RESPECT    FOR    THE    HONORED 

DEAD. 


ACTION    OF    THE    EXECUTIVE    COMMITTEE    OF    THE    BOARD    OF 
TRUSTEES  OF  CORNELL   UNIVERSITY. 

The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Trustees  of  Cornell  University 
having  received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Ezra  Cornell, 
ordered  that  the  following  Memorandum  and  Resolutions  be  en- 
tered upon  their  minutes,  and  that  copies  be  furnished  the  family 
of  the  deceased,  to  the  various  bodies  of  which  he  was  a  member, 
and  to  the  press  for  publication . 

Mr.  Cornell  was  placed  in  the  relation  of  the  President  of  this 
body  at  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  1865.  Dur- 
ing the  nine  years  which  have  elapsed  since  that  time,  he  has 
steadily  given  his  best  thoughts  and  efforts  to  the  great  work  in 
which  we  have  been  associated.  Although  other  enterprises  cal- 
culated to  increase  the  prosperity  of  the  community  and  the  State 
in  which  he  dwelt  received  freely  of  his  self-sacrificing  labor  and 


294  EZRA    CORNELL. 

of  his  fortune,  the  central  point  in  all  his  planning  and  working 
was  the  University  which  he  had  founded  and  which  bore  his 
name.  His  labors  have  been  almost  without  cessation,  and  en- 
tirely without  any  alloy  of  selfishness.  In  addition  to  many  other 
benefactions,  his  foresight  led  him  to  do  for  the  State  of  New  York 
what  the  State  could  not  do  for  herself,  in  locating  lands  for  the 
benefit  of  the  University.  Cleverly  discerning  that  this  was  ad- 
vantageous to  the  institution  which  he  had  established  for  his  fel- 
low-men, he  freely  devoted  the  bulk  of  his  fortune,  his  best 
thoughts,  his  constant  labors  to  carrying  out  this,  of  which  the 
only  inspiration  was  the  desire  to  confer  a  benefit  upon  young 
men  seeking  advanced-  instruction.  Having  decided  upon  this 
plan,  he  consented  not  only  to  bear  labor,  but  to  brave  obloquy. 
The  most  bitter  opposition,  the  most  chilling  indifference,  the  most 
cruel  calumny,  were  alike  unable  to  turn  him  from  this  noble  pur- 
pose. 

In  thoughtful  remembrance  of  his  sacrifices  for  whatever  he 
thought  worthy,  of  his  deep  devotion  to  whatever  he  thought  just,  of 
his  fearlessness  in  supporting  whatever  he  thought  right,  we  desire 
to  record  for  the  benefit  of  a  coming  generation,  which  is  doubtless  to 
show  more  gratitude  than  was  given  during  his  lifetime,  our  delib- 
erate and  solemn  testimony  that,  in  a  retrospect  in  all  these  years 
of  intimate  association,  we  can  recall  not  one  instance  of  a  proced- 
ure on  his  part  actuated  by  a  desire  to  increase  his  own  fortune, 
to  improve  his  own  position,  or  to  advance  his  own  fame.  All 
our  connection  with  him,  close  as  it  has  been,  has  revealed  one 
aim,  and  that  aim  the  improvement,  moral,  intellectual,  and  so- 
cial, of  his  fellow-men. 

Nor  can  we  close  this  brief  memorial  without  rendering  a  trib- 
ute of  respect  to  that  broadness  of  view  which  caused  him  always 
to  look  above  and  beyond  the  boundaries  of  party,  and  sect,  and 
creed,  and  to  labor  simply  for  man  as  man.  In  remembrance  of 
our  lamented  associate,  we  add  to  this  memorandum  the  following 
resolution  : 

.Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  examine  and  re- 
port concerning  the  erection  of  a  suitable  memorial  to  our  de- 


LIBRARY  TRUSTEES.  295 

ceased  friend  at  the  University  which  he  founded,  and  that  a  suit- 
able recognition  of  his  services  be  publicly  made  at  such  time  as 
shall  be  found  fitting  ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  this  Board  do  in  a  body  attend  the  approaching 
funeral. 


ACTION   OF  THE  TRUSTEES   OF   CORNELL   LIBRARY. 

The  founder  of  the  Cornell  Library  is  dead.  His  generous  hand 
scatters  bounties  no  more  forever.  His  large  heart  beats  no 
longer  in  sympathy  with  his  country  and  his  countrymen.  Sen- 
timents of  humanity,  of  benevolence,  and  of  material  well-being 
henceforth  will  not  kindle  in  his  eye,  nor  stir  to  new  activity  the 
torpid  pulse.  His  gigantic  labors  are  ended.  Let  us  hope  that 
the  departed  spirit  may  find  with  God  that  repose  and  peace 
which  a  lofty  sense  of  duty  to  mankind  denied  the  living  body. 
May  the  greeting  be,  "  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant, enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

How  utterly  unselfish  was  his  life  ;  how  simple  his  tastes  ;  how 
unostentatious  his  manners.  As  for  him  poverty  had  no  terrors, 
so  riches  begot  no  pride.  He  labored  to  create  wealth,  but  wealth 
acquired  was  but  an  instrument  in  his  hand  for  improving  the 
condition,  increasing  the  happiness,  and  cultivating  the  intellect 
and  morals  of  the  people.  Wealth  was  not  a  luxury  to  be  en- 
joyed, but  a  responsibility  to  be  accounted  for — a  power  to  be 
used  in  well  doing. 

His  character  was  pure  as  molten  silver — loving  truth,  justice, 
purity;  hating  lies,  wrong,  and  vice.  The  cold  reserve  of  his 
manners  was  warmed  by  the  hidden  charity  and  kindness  of  his 
heart — that  heart  as  tender  as  a  child's. 

His  apparent  severity  of  expression,  in  moments  of  leisure, 
blossomed  in  geniality  and  mirth.  A  mind  sagacious  in  forecast- 
ing the  future  as  affected  by  the  conduct  of  the  present ;  liberal 
in  his  sentiments  ;  unyielding  in  his  convictions  ;  charitable  in 
his  judgments  ;  he  stood  a  power,  self-created,  self-confident, 
crowned  by  the  respect  and  admiration  of  weaker  natures 


296  EZRA    CORNELL. 

gathered  around  him  for  counsel  or  support.  Such  was  the 
man. 

By  his  untiring  efforts  to  secure  the  greatest  good  for  the  great- 
est number,  he  illustrated  the  utilitarian  philosophy  ;  by  his  pa- 
tient endurance  of  adversity,  calumny,  and  suffering,  without  wa- 
vering in  his  noble  purposes,  he  becomes  entitled  to  the  Stoic's 
crown. 

The  institutions  and  public  works  born  of  his  benevolence,  or 
sustained  by  his  wealth,  are  like  beacons  on  the  mountain-tops. 
Their  names  and  fame  are  world-wide. 

Our  people  owe  an  unspeakable  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  works 
of  his  hands  and  love.  To  pay  it  would  bankrupt  us  all,  and  yet 
we  would  be  richer  for  the  payment. 

May  the  Recording  Angel  write  of  him  in  the  Book  of  Life  : 
"  He  loved  his  fellow-men." 

In  view  of  this  sad  event,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Trustees  and  Members  of  the  Cornell  Library 
Association  hereby  express  their  deep  regret  and  sense  of  bereave- 
ment in  the  death  of  Hon.  Ezra  Cornell,  the  founder  of  the  Cornell 
Library,  and  the  President  of  this  Association  from  its  beginning, 
and  their  humble  submission  to  the  mysterious  but  all-wise  order- 
ing of  Divine  Providence. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  renew  our  efforts  to  consummate  the  pur- 
pose which  he  formed  and  was  seeking  to  accomplish  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  this  Library  Association,  whose  interests  are  committed 
to  our  trusts,  by  adopting  measures  to  fill  its  alcoves  with  books — 
the  best  monument  our  citizens  can  erect  to  his  memory. 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  this  Association  be  requested  to 
transmit  these  Resolutions  to  the  family  of  our  honored  President 
and  Founder,  now  deceased,  expressing  to  them  the  deep  sym- 
pathy we  feel  in  their  great  affliction,  and  commending  them  to 
the  tenderness  of  that  merciful  God  in  whose  care  and  goodness 
he  trusted. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  upon  the  records  of 
the  Board. 


CITIZENS   OF  ITHACA.  297 

THE  CITIZENS'  MEETING. 
[From  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal.] 

Journal  Hall  was  crowded,  last  evening,  with  the  business  men 
of  Ithaca,  met  to  give  fitting  and  formal  expression  of  their  sense 
of,  and  their  unfeigned  sorrow  at,  the  loss  they  had  sustained  in 
the  death  of  Ezra  Cornell.  Every  profession,  business,  and 
trade  was  represented.  Men  whom  the  seductive  allurements 
of  political  meetings,  dramatic  readings,  or  social  amusements 
could  not  entice  from  their  dingy  offices  and  the  ceaseless  routine 
of  business,  seemed  to  have  found  an  irresistible  attraction  in  the 
object  of  this  meeting,  for  those  were  present,  last  evening,  whom 
we  rarely  or  never  see  in  public  meetings  of  a  secular  character, 
of  whatever  kind  or  nature. 

The  meeting  was  duly  organized,  and  upon  the  report  of  a  com- 
mittee, the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unanimously 
adopted  : 

"  Whereas,  The  hour  has  come — all  too  early,  save  for  the  wise 
purposes  of  an  incomprehensible  Providence — when  we  are  called 
upon  to  follow  to  the  grave  the  remains  of  our  beloved  friend  and 
esteemed  fellow- citizen  Ezra  Cornell  ;  and 

"  Whereas,  We  stand  by  his  bier,  powerless  to  recall  the  noble 
life  that  has  gone  out,  and  helpful  only  to  express,  in  words  and  by 
our  acts,  sympathy  with  the  family  of  the  deceased,  and  our  own 
deep  sorrow  on  account  of  the  loss  that  has  fallen  on  our  commu- 
nity ;  therefore  be  it 

"Resolved,  by  citizens  of  Ithaca  in  public  meeting  assembled, 
That  in  the  life  and  works  of  Ezra  Cornell,  we  recognize  a  nobility 
of  aim,  an  earnestness  of  purpose,  a  brotherhood  of  motive,  the 
influence  of  which  has  diffused  itself  through  our  midst,  enlarging 
our  views  of  manhood  and  inspiring  us  with  increased  desire  for 
greater  usefulness  to  our  fellow-men  ;  that,  while  the  imprint  of 
his  ingenious  hand  is  indelibly  stamped  on  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant devices  of  modern  times — or  of  all  time — for  the  benefit  of 
mankind,  the  Magnetic  Telegraph,  we  are  especially  mindful  at 


298  EZRA    CORNELL. 

this  sad  hour  that  the  most  numerous  products  of  his  indefatigable 
industry  and  business  enterprise,  belong  to  the  village  of  Ithaca, 
and  to  the  county  of  Tompkins,  to  have  and  to  hold  ;  that,  by  his 
large  foresight,  and  the  unstinted  use  of  his  self-acquired  means, 
he  planted  among  us  an  institution  of  learning  whose  fame  has 
already  spread  throughout  the  world,  rendering  the  locality  of  our 
home  really,  as  its  name  is  traditionally,  classical,  drawing  hither 
the  ripest  scholars  of  the  age  ;  by  the  influence  of  his  presence  and 
teaching  we  have  been  greatly  benefited,  and  our  children  and  our 
children's  children  are  to  be  much  more  abundantly  blessed  ;  that, 
as  we  stand  beside  the  coffin  of  our  departed  friend  and  neighbor, 
to-day,  we  reflect  upon  his  life-work  with  divided  gratitude — for  the 
legacy  he  has  left  us  in  the  way  of  intellectual  advantages,  and  for 
the  impulse  which  his  business  enterprise  gave  to  our  material 
prosperity. 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Ezra  Cornell  we  lose  a  towns- 
man unselfishly  loyal  to  the  welfare  of  our  common  village,  and  a 
friend  whose  memory  will  abide  with  us,  as  deeply  and  warmly 
cherished  as  in  life  his  daily  walk  and  counsels  were  esteemed  and 
respected. 

"  Resolved,  That  as  a  token  of  our  respect  for  the  memory  of 
the  deceased,  we  unite  in  closing  our  respective  places  of  business 
between  the  hours  of  12  M.  and  3  P.  M.,  on  Saturday  next. 

"  Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  published  in  the  village  pa- 
pers, and  a  copy  of  the  same  be  sent  to  the  family  of  the  deceased." 

Upon  motion  the  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted.  After 
which,  Judge  Boardman  being  called  by  many  voices,  arose  and 
spoke,  with  many  signs  of  emotion,  substantially  as  follows  : 

JUDGE  BOARDMAN'S    REMARKS. 

GENTLEMEN  : — As  has  been  suggested,  this  is  not  an  occasion 
for  eulogy,  or  for  alluding  to  or  summing  up  the  character  of  the 
dead.  I  presume  you  all  feel  with  me  that  you  have  suffered 
a  great  loss — the  loss  of  a  great  man  ;  a  man  whose  instincts  were 
great,  in  his  love  of  humanity,  in  his  desire  for  human  progress 


TELEGRAPH  DIRECTORS.  299 

and  human  well-being.  A  man  as  utterly  unselfish  as  perhaps  is 
compatible  with  human  nature  ;  whose  mind  seemed  to  be  cen- 
tred on  the  human  race,  and  especially  of  this  locality,  of  which  he 
has  so  long  been  a  resident. 

For  him  poverty  had  no  terrors  ;  and  wealth  in  no  instance  in- 
spired him  with  pride.  It  was  a  treasure  put  in  his  hands — not  for 
his  own  luxury  and  for  his  own  advancement,  and  that  he  person- 
ally might  profit  by  it  ;  but  rather  that  mankind,  that  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lived,  might  receive  those  benefits  which 
ought  justly  to  be  bestowed  on  a  community.  In  this  way  he  has 
lived  amongst  us  ;  simple  in  his  habits— unostentatious  in  his 
manner — attending  carefully  to  his  own  business — interfering  not 
at  all  with  the  business  of  others — a  man  of  mark,  yet  a  man  of 
sympathy  ;  of  kindness  of  heart,  yet  of  resolute  purpose. 

To  such  a  man  we  owe  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude — too  deep  to  be 
paid  by  any  act  or  expression  of  grief ;  and  it  would  be  strange, 
indeed,  if,  now  that  he  is  dead  and  gone,  this  community  should 
not  overlook  his  faults.  He  had  faults — none  of  us  are  free  from 
them — but  they  were  trivial,  too  trifling  to  be  mentioned — let  us 
throw  the  mantle  of  charity  over  them.  Let  us  not  suffer  his  lit- 
tle foibles  to  draw  our  minds  from  the  great  deeds  of  his  life — from 
the  grand  purposes  which  he  set  before  himself,  and  which  he  so 
successfully  accomplished.  As  the  spots  of  the  sun  neither  ob- 
scure his  light,  nor  prevent  his  warm  and  beneficient  beams  from 
creating  life  and  beauty  for  all  mankind,  so  the  venial  faults  of 
Ezra  Cornell  did  not  prevent  his  life-work  from  being  an  honor  to 
his  country,  and  a  blessing  to  his  fellow-citizens  to  the  end  of  time. 
Gentlemen,  need  I  say  more  ? 


ACTION   OF  THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  WESTERN  UNION 
TELEGRAPH   COMPANY. 

The  Directors  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  having 
been  officially  informed  of  the  death  of  their  late  associate,  the 
Hon.  Ezra  Cornell,  adopted  the  following  resolutions  as  a  mark  of 
respect  to  his  memory  : 


300  EZRA    CORNELL. 

Resolved,  That  this  Board,  at  this  first  meeting  after  the  demise 
of  our  beloved  associate  and  friend,  revert  to  the  sad  event  to  ex- 
press, so  far  as  words  will  permit,  the  hearty  tribute  of  our  affec- 
tion for  his  memory. 

The  records  of  this  Board  testify  to  his  energy,  his  faith,  and 
courage  in  the  great  struggle  to  conquer  adversity,  and  achieve 
success  in  an  enterprise  regarded  at  first  as  chimerical,  but  which 
he  foresaw  was  in  the  end  to  triumph  and  inure  to  the  benefit  of 
his  country  and  the  world. 

It  is  meet  and  eminently  proper,  therefore,  that  we,  his  associ- 
ates and  successors,  holding  the  records  of  his  labors  and  achieve- 
ments in  telegraphy,  and  representing  the  vast  interests  which 
have  grown  mighty  and  strong  in  his  lifetime,  should  gratefully 
acknowledge  the  obligation,  not  only  of  ourselves,  but  of  the 
country  and  mankind,  to  his  discernment,  fidelity,  and  persever- 
ance. 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathize  with  the  afflicted  family  of 
the  deceased,  and  tender  to  them  in  their  bereavement  our  sin- 
cere condolence. 

Resolved,  That  this  note  of  our  respect  be  entered  upon  the  min- 
utes of  the  Board,  and  a  copy  thereof  furnished  by  the  Secretary 
to  the  family  of  Mr.  Cornell. 


MEETING  OF  THE  STUDENTS. 

A  meeting  of  the  students  of  the  University  was  held,  accord- 
ing to  announcement,  at  ten  o'clock  this  morning,  in  Military  Hall, 
to  make  arrangements  for  the  funeral.  Major  MacMurray  pre- 
sided. The  two  Senior  companies  of  cadets  were  detailed  to  at- 
tend the  funeral,  fully  uniformed  and  equipped,  as  an  honorary 
body  guard.  They  are  to  be  followed  by  the  two  Freshmen  com- 
panies, also  fully  uniformed  and  armed.  The  entire  body  of  stu- 
dents, in  civilian's  dress,  will  march  in  procession  behind.  The  dif- 
ferent classes  are  all  called  upon  to  meet  in  Military  Hall,  at  ten 
o'clock  precisely,  on  Saturday.  Eight  of  the  strongest  men  among 
the  students  were  appointed  to  act  as  pall-bearers  in  carrying  the 


VILLAGE  AUTHORITIES.  3° I 

coffin,  at  nine  o'clock,  from  the  residence  to  the  hall ;  where  they 
will  stand  guard  over  it  and  return  it  to  the  residence  at  twelve 
o'clock.  A  committee  of  four  was  appointed  to  draft  appropriate 
resolutions  respecting  the  death  of  the  honored  founder  of  the 
University.  It  was  unanimously  ordered  that  the  entire  body  of 
students  wear  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  during  the  remainder 
of  the  term. 


ACTION  OF  THE  VILLAGE  TRUSTEES. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  village  of  Ithaca,  at  their  regular 
meeting,  last  evening,  adopted  the  following  resolutions  : 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Ezra  Cornell  we  recognize  that 
this  community  has  been  deprived  of  a  public  benefactor,  that  our 
loss  is  irreparable,  and  that  his  memory  will  be  cherished  so  long 
as  men  know  how  to  honor  and  revere  private  and  public  worth. 

"  Resolved,  That  his  munificence  in  founding  in  Ithaca,  the 
Public  Free  Library  and  the  noble  institution  of  learning  that 
bears  his  name,  and  his  many  self-denying  labors  to  promote  and 
advance  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  community  with  which 
he  has  been  so  long  identified,  especially  entitle  him  to  be  held  in 
the  highest  estimation  and  warmest  gratitude  by  all  persons. 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Board,  individually  and  collectively,  ex- 
tend their  sincere  sympathy  to  his  bereaved  and  deeply  afflicted 
family. 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Board  attend  his  funeral  in  a  body. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  of  the  Board  transmit  a  copy  of  these 
resolutions  to  the  widow  of  the  deceased." 


PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  VILLAGE. 

To  the  Citizens  of  Ithaca  : 

To-morrow  (Saturday),  the  I2th  day  of  December,  at  one 
o'clock  P.  M.,  having  been  designated  as  the  time  for  holding  the 
funeral  of  our  late  friend  and  fellow-citizen,  Ezra  Cornell,  and  as 
all  desire  to  pay  due  respect  to  his  memory,  and  give  their  time 


302  EZRA    CORNELL. 

to  the  observance  of  ceremonies  befitting  the  occasion,  without 
feeling  the  obligations  of  business  resting  upon  them,  therefore, 
I,  Adam  S.  Cowdry,  President  of  the  village  of  Ithaca,  do  respect- 
fully recommend  that,  so  far  as  it  may  be  practicable,  the  people 
of  this  village  forego,  for  the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  day,  their  or- 
dinary avocations  ;  and  I  especially  request  that  all  business  places 
be  closed  between  the  hours  of  12  M.  and  3  P.M.,  in  accordance 
with  the  action  of  the  public  meeting  last  night. 

ADAM  S.  COWDRY,  President. 
ITHACA,  December  u,  1874. 


ACTION   OF  THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE   ITHACA   SAVINGS   BANK. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Ithaca 
Savings  Bank,  held  December  11,  1874,  to  take  action  in  regard  to 
its  President,  Ezra  Cornell,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  the  death  of  our  lamented  associate  and  friend, 
Ezra  Cornell,  fills  our  hearts  with  unfeigned  regret  and  sorrow  ; 
that  this  institution  has  lost  a  wise  and  judicious  counsellor,  one 
whose  interest  in  its  affairs  has  been  unremitting  from  its  organ- 
ization, and  who  has  cheerfully  given  his  valuable  time  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  its  interests  and  prosperity. 

Resolved,  That  we  desire  to  record  our  humble  tribute  to  his 
worth,  and  express  our  sincere  condolence  with  his  family  in  their 
great  affliction. 

Resolved,  That  this  bank  will  be  closed  for  business  until  after 
the  funeral,  and  that  we  will  attend  in  a  body. 

O.  B.  CURRAN,  Secretary. 


THE   BOARD   OF   EDUCATION   AND   TRUSTEES   OF   THE  ACADEMY. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  the  Trustees  of  the 
Academy,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  also  the  friends  of  education  everywhere, 
owe  a  lasting  debt   of  gratitude  to   Ezra   Cornell.     From   early 


ACADEMY   TRUSTEES. 

manhood  he  cherished  a  deep  interest  in  the  great  cause  ;  he  es- 
tablished and  endowed  a  public  library  in  Ithaca,  and  gave  it  to 
this  town  and  county ;  he  founded  a  university,  provided  it  with 
facilities  for  instruction  in  all  knowledge,  opened  its  doors  to 
every  race  and  both  sexes,  and  gave  it  to  this  State  and  to  the 
world  ;  he  freely  devoted  the  ripest  fruits  and  the  most  active  en- 
ergies of  his  life  to  these  munificent  enterprises.  The  name  and 
memory  of  Ezra  Cornell  will  be  honored  and  revered  so  long  as 
the  English  language  shall  be  spoken,  or  written,  or  read. 

On  motion,  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  Academy,  and  the  principals  of  the  two  schools  were 
requested  to  meet  at  the  office  of  Judge  Boardman  on  Saturday 
next,  at  I  o'clock  P.M.,  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Cornell. 

D.  BOARDMAN,  Chairman. 

J.  STROWBRIDGE,  Secretary. 


ACTION  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  GENEVA, 
ITHACA  &  ATHENS  RAILROAD. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  directors  and  officers  of  the  Geneva,  Ithaca 
&  Athens  Railroad  Company  the  I2th  day  of  December,  1874,  the 
following  resolutions  were  considered  and  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  death  of  Ezra  Cornell  impresses  upon  his  sur- 
viving associates  sentiments  of  deep  grief ;  that  a  great  public 
enterprise  has  lost  its  most  valuable  support,  its  most  intelligent 
friend,  its  most  intelligent  benefactor ;  but  the  material  loss  is 
overshadowed  and  forgotten  in  that  far  greater  loss  which  our 
community  and  country  have  suffered,  exciting  grief  in  every 
heart  and  sympathy  in  every  act. 

Resolved,  That  the  patriotism,  the  integrity,  the  industry,  the 
purity,  and  the  generosity  of  the  noble  dead  are  and  will  long  con- 
tinue to  be  an  illustrious  guide  and  example  to  our  people  and 
community,  worthy  our  constant  recollection  and  inviting  an  hum- 
ble imitation. 

Resolved,  That  the  directors  and  officers  of  the  Geneva,  Ithaca 


304  EZRA    CORNELL. 

&  Athens  Railroad  Company,  as  a  mark  of  respect,  attend  in  a 
body  the  funeral  services  of  the  deceased. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  conveyed  to  the 
family  of  the  deceased,  with  the  expression  of  the  profound  sym- 
pathy of  his  surviving  associates  in  their  sufferings  and  sorrow. 


ACTION  OF  THE  TOMPKINS  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Tompkins  County  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  Society,  held  at  their  rooms  in  Library  Building,  at 
ii  o'clock  A.M.,  December  12,  1874,  the  President  stated  that  the 
object  of  the  meeting  was  to  make  suitable  arrangements  to  attend 
the  funeral  of  their  honored  ex-president,  Hon.  Ezra  Cornell.  It 
was  unanimously 

Resolved,  That  we  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body  and  march  to- 
gether to  the  cemetery. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  draft  a  sketch  of 
Mr.  Cornell's  connection  with  this  Society,  and  also  suitable 
resolutions  to  be  recorded  in  the  records  of  the  Society,  and  re- 
port the  same  to  the  next  regular  meeting. 

Resolved,  That  this  Society  invite  the  farmers  of  Tompkins 
and  the  adjoining  counties  to  unite  with  them  in  the  tribute  of 
respect  for  the  MAN  whose  mortal  remains  are  this  day  com- 
mitted to  the  tomb. 

The  committees  appointed  from  the  County  Agricultural  Society 
and  Farmer's  Club  to  express  a  proper  tribute  of  respect  for  the 
memory  of  Mr.  Cornell,  drew  up  and  unanimously  agreed  to  the 
following  resolutions : 

Whereas,  We  are  called  to  mourn  the  death  of  our  beloved 
friend  and  esteemed  citizen,  Ezra  Cornell,  and 

Whereas,  By  his  liberal  donation  to  the  Farmer's  Club  of  a 
valuable  agricultural  library  and  museum,  and  the  use  for  all  time 
to  come  of  a  commodious  and  ample  room  in  which  to  store  the 
same,  and  for  the  meetings  of  the  Society,  and 


THE  FARMERS.  3O5 

Whereas,  We,  as  farmers,  feel  that  by  his  influence,  his* coun- 
sel, his  sacrifices,  and  his  many  liberal  donations  in  behalf  of 
agriculture,  we  have  been  benefited  more  than  any  other  class, 
and 

Whereas,  We  desire  to  express  the  esteem  and  veneration  in 
which  his  memory  is  held  by  us,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  By  the  farmers  in  Tompkins  County  in  public  meet- 
ing assembled,  that,  in  the  earnest  labors  of  Ezra  Cornell  for 
the  advancement  of  agriculture,  we  recognize  a  nobleness  of  pur- 
pose worthy  of  imitation,  and  in  his  unfaltering  faith  in  the  ulti- 
mate success  of  educating  and  elevating  all  tillers  of  the  soil,  in 
common  with  others,  is  brought  to  light  a  peculiar  and  beautiful 
trait  of  his  noble  character. 

We  recognize  the  vast  benefits  conferred,  not  only  on  the  State, 
but  the  country  at  large,  by  his  early  importation  of  the  best 
breeds  of  domestic  animals,  by  his  introduction  of  many  improved 
farming  implements,  by  his  wise  counsels  in  our  agricultural  soci- 
eties, and  by  his  earnest  endeavors  to  promote  their  usefulness. 
Science  and  the  mechanic  arts  have  received  rich  and  lasting 
contributions  from  his  fertile  brain.  The  cause  of  education  has 
been  advanced  through  his  efforts  more  than  by  any  other  man 
of  the  present  age. 

While  we  are  mindful  of,  we  can  hardly  realize  all  the  benefits 
conferred  upon  ourselves  and  posterity  ;  for  what  class,  what 
industry,  what  calling  has  not  felt  and  will  not  feel  for  ages  to 
come  the  influence  of  his  far-reaching,  liberally  conceived,  and 
well-executed  plans  ? 

Resolved,  That  we,  in  an  especial  manner,  as  also  do  all  men 
of  like  occupation,  and  friends  of  education  everywhere,  owe  a 
debt  of  gratitude  to  Ezra  Cornell. 

E.  L.  B.  CURTIS,  I.  P.  ROBERTS, 

T.  BOARDMAN,  P.  B.  CRANDALL, 

H.  BREWER,  W.  W.  AYRES, 

J.  ALBRIGHT,  L.  C.  BEERS, 

Committee, 

20 


306  EZRA    CORNELL. 


MEETING  OF   RESPECT  AT  THE  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH. 

At  the  regular  Friday  evening  prayer-meeting  in  the  Presby- 
terian Chapel  last  night,  the  services,  at  the  request  of  Dr.  White, 
were  entirely  devoted  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Cornell.  The  Scrip- 
tures read,  prayers  offered,  and  remarks  made  were  all  appro- 
priate. The  prayers  were  especially  for  the  relatives  of  the  illus- 
trious dead  and  the  institutions  which  he  had  left. 


SIBLEY   COLLEGE   IN   MOURNING. 

Among  the  decorations  of  mourning  for  the  loss  of  Mr.  Cornell 
seen  on  every  hand,  perhaps  none  are  simpler  or  more  tasteful 
than  those  of  the  Botanical  Lecture-room  in  the  Sibley  College 
building.  Between  the  central  columns  is  sprung  an  arch,  which, 
together  with  the  columns,  is  heavily  draped.  From  the  crown  of 
the  arch  hangs  a  Greek  cross  bordered  in  black,  in  the  centre  of 
which  is  the  monogram  E.  C.,  encircled  by  a  wreath  of  laurel. 
Above  the  arch  droop  the  graceful  plumes  of  the  urbim  grass  of 
the  Amazons.  The  Mechanical  Lecture-room,  printing  office,  and 
all  parts  of  Sibley  College  are  also  appropriately  draped. 


FOUNDER'S   HYMN. 
BY  HON.  FRANCIS  M.  FINCH. 

The  "  Chimes"  are  still.     Alone, 

As  falls  the  year's  last  leaf, 
The  Great  Bell's  monotone, 

Slow  hymns  our  helpless  grief. 
Bountiful  heart ! — bountiful  hand  ! 

Bountiful  heart  and  hand  ! 
O  !  Father  and  Founder !     O  !  Soul  so  grand  ! 

Farewell,  Cornell ! — Farewell ! 

From  Slander's  driving  sleet, 

From  Envy's  pitiless  rain, 
At  rest,  the  aching  feet ! 

At  rest,  the  weary  brain  ! 
Laboring  heart ! — laboring  hand  ! 
Laboring  heart  and  hand  i 


FOUNDER'S  HYMN.  307 

So  calm,  and  grave,  and  still, 

Men  thought  his  silence,  pride  ; 
Nor  guessed  the  truth,  until 

Death  told  it — as  he  died. 
Lowly  of  heart ! — Lowly  of  hand ! — 
Lowly  of  heart  and  hand  ! 

"  True  "  as  the  steel  to  star  ; 

With  eyes  whose  lifted  lid 
Let  in  all  Truth — though  far 

In  clouds  and  darkness  hid. 
Confident  heart !— confident  hand  ! 
Confident  heart  and  hand  ! 

"  Firm"  as  the  oak's  tough  grain, 

Yet  pliant  to  the  prayer 
Of  Poverty,  or  Pain, 

As  leaf  to  troubled  air. 
Kindest  heart ! — kindest  hand  ! 
Kindest  heart  and  hand  ! 

Untaught, — and  yet  he  drew 

Best  learning  out  of  life, 
More  than  the  Scholars  knew, 

With  all  their  toil  and  strife. 
Conquering  heart ! — conquering  hand  ! 
Conquering  heart  and  hand  ! 

The  spires  that  crown  the  hill, 

To  Plainest  Labor  free, 
Where  all  may  win  who  will, 

His  monument  shall  be ! 
Generous  heart ! — generous  hand ! 
Generous  heart  and  hand  ! 

Brave,  kindly  heart,  adieu  ! 

But  with  us  live  alway 
The  patient  face  we  knew, 

And  this  Memorial  Day. 
Bountiful  heart !— bountiful  hand  I 
Bountiful  heart  and  hand  ! 


CHAPTER     XXIV. 

FUNERAL  OBSEQUIES. 

Manifestations  of  Grief. — Suspension  of  Business. — Lying  in  State 
in  Library  Hall. — Funeral  Ceremonies. — Vast  Concourse  in 
Attendance. — Services  Conducted  by  Dr.  Wilson,  and  Dr. 
Stebbins. — Pall  Bearers. — The  Procession. — Remains  Depos- 
ited in  Family  Vault. — Observances  at  Syracuse,  Auburn, 
Aurora,  Cayuga,  Towanda,  Syracuse  University. — Dr.  Steb- 
bins' Address. — "  Our  Founder." 

EVIDENCES  of  the  universal  respect  entertained  by 
the  entire  community,  and  the  all-prevailing  sor- 
row which  was  experienced  by  all  classes  of  peo- 
ple, in  consequence  of  the  lamented  death  of  Mr. 
Cornell,  were  everywhere  manifested.  Public 
buildings,  dwellings,  and  business  houses  gene- 
rally, were  draped  in  mourning,  while  on  the  day 
designated  for  the  observation  of  the  funeral  ob- 
sequies, all  of  the  public  offices,  banks,  stores,  fac- 
tories, and  shops  were  closed,  and  there  was  an 
entire  cessation  of  the  usual  avocations  and  busi- 
ness pursuits  throughout  the  village  The  fu- 
neral ceremonies  were  attended  by  a  vast  con- 
course of  people,  and  were  impressive  beyond 
any  previous  demonstration  of  the  locality.  Al- 


THE  FUNERAL.  3°9 

most  the  entire  population  were  in  attendance, 
together  with  thousands  from  the  surrounding 
towns,  while  large  numbers  of  prominent  citizens 
from  every  quarter  of  the  State  were  present  to 
evidence  their  respect  for  the  dead,  and  sympathy 
for  the  living.  The  subjoined  account  of  the  fu- 
neral, which  was  published  in  the  Ithaca  Daily 
Journal,  is  herewith  presented  as  an  appropriate 
conclusion  of  the  record  of  this  notable  and  useful 
career. 

THE    FUNERAL    CEREMONIES. 

"  EARTH  TO  EARTH  ;  ASHES  TO  ASHES." 

[From  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal,  December  \2.th.\ 

This  morning  broke  bright  and  cold,  the  threatening  appear- 
ances of  the  evening  previous  having  fortunately  proved  delusive. 
Somewhat  later,  grayish,  fleecy  clouds  floated  lazily  across  the 
sun,  though  not  of  sufficient  density  to  entirely  obscure  his  bright- 
ness or  to  create  apprehensions  of  a  storm. 

But  though  all  nature  wore  a  cheerful  aspect,  the  appearance  of 
the  town  was  gloomy  enough.  Everywhere  the  eye  rested  it  saw 
nothing  but  the  trappings  of  woe.  Every  store,  hotel,  and  public 
building,  and  many  private  residences  were  heavily  draped,  and 
every  flag  hung  at  half-mast.  Those  business  men  who  had  fes- 
tooned their  store-fronts  in  black  upon  the  first  sad  news  of  our 
public  calamity,  had  more  heavily  and  elaborately  draped  them 
on  this  day  when  the  last  solemn  rites  were  to  be  paid  to  their  de- 
ceased friend,  helper  and  counsellor  ;  and  those  who  had  not  hith- 
erto displayed  any  public  evidences  of  grief,  now  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  appropriate  decorations.  The  result  of  their 
combined  labors  was  such  as  to  cast  an  air  of  funereal  gloom  over 


310  EZRA    CORNELL. 

the  town,  the  like  of  which  had  never  before  been  witnessed,  not 
even  on  that  woeful  day  when  the  news  was  received  of  the  "  deep 
damnation  of  the  taking  off  "  of  the  peerless  President — Abraham 
Lincoln.  Portraits  of  the  Founder  of  Cornell  University — most  of 
them  very  faithful  likenesses — were  to  be  seen  here  and  there, 
surrounded  by  tasteful  black  borders,  and  surmounted  by  mottoes, 
expressing  the  estimate  which  the  various  owners  of  the  portraits 
had  of  Ezra  Cornell.  "  Humanity  has  lost  a  friend,"  "  Our  greatest 
and  best  friend  has  fallen,"  were  a  few  the  reporter  recalls  of  the 
many  which  he  noticed. 

Business  was  not  formally  suspended  until  noon,  but  it  may  be 
said  to  have  been  suspended,  in  fact,  all  day ;  little  else  being 
done  than  preparing  for  the  funeral  ceremonies,  and  little  else  be- 
ing discussed  but  Ithaca's  irreparable  loss.  The  people  from  the 
country  came  thronging  in  at  an  early  hour,  and  trains  from  every 
direction  brought  large  numbers  to  swell  the  already  great  multi- 
tudes gathered  here.  The  stages  and  'buses,  which  were  draped 
in  mourning,  as  also  were  the  cars,  were  constantly  in  requi- 
sition to  carry  the  fresh  arrivals  on  the  different  trains  to  the 
already  over-crowded  hotels.  All  the  forenoon  the  main  streets 
were  thronged  with  people,  their  numbers  increasing  in  a  sort  of 
geometrical  proportion  as  the  time  drew  nearer  and  nearer  the 
hour  for  the  final  scene. 

LIBRARY    BUILDING. 

The  entrances  are  beautifully  and  heavily  draped,  as  also  all  the 
windows,  with  rosettes  black  and  white  ;  from  the  cornices  depend 
heavy  folds  of  drapery.  The  residence  is  without  any  sign  of 
mourning  except  the  usual  simple  badge  on  the  door  knobs.  At 
half  past  nine  o'clock  precisely  the  corpse  was  removed  from  the 
residence  to  Library  Hall,  borne  by  eight  student  pall  bearers, 
passing  through  a  line  of  cadets,  armed  and  uniformed,  extending 
to  the  door  of  the  Library.  Company  A,  Fiftieth  Battalion,  Na- 
tional Guard,  guarded  the  entrance  and  passage-ways  to  the  Hall. 
A  guard  of  honor,  consisting  of  a  company  of  Cornell  cadets,  sur- 
rounded the  bier.  The  coffin  was  placed  on  a  catafalque  in  the 


LAST   VIEW,  3H 

centre  of  the  hall,  and  in  viewing  the  corpse,  the  crowd  passed  in 
at  the  west  door  and  out  through  the  south  door.  During  the 
three  hours  and  a  half  that  the  remains  laid  in  state,  to  be  viewed 
by  the  public,  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  people,  with  uncovered 
heads  and  solemn  step,  passed  through  the  hall.  By  actual  count, 
four  thousand  people  took  a  last  look  at  the  honored  dead.  The 
corpse,  although  bearing  evidences  of  wasting  disease,  looked  very 
natural  and  beautiful. 

DECORATIONS   OF   THE    HALL. 

Library  Hall  was  most  beautifully  and  appropriately  decorated. 
Upon  the  platform  immediately  under  the  arch  stood  the  life-sized 
portrait  of  Mr.  Cornell,  which  had  been  removed  thither  from  its 
accustomed  place  in  the  Library. 

The  picture  never  showed  to  better  advantage  than  as  it  stands 
there  above  the  lifeless  features  from  which  it  was  painted.  The 
frame  of  the  portrait  is  trimmed  in  mourning,  and  above  it  in  large 
evergreen  letters  is  Mr.  Cornell's  talismanic  motto,  "  True  and 
Firm,"  the  same  which  is  carved  upon  his  new  residence.  Over 
the  motto  is  the  monogram  E.  C.  on  a  white  shield  bordered  with 
flowers.  At  the  foot  of  the  portrait  there  is  a  beautiful  mourning 
rosette,  and  the  American  flag  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  shield. 
This  represents  the  patriotic  side  of  Mr.  Cornell's  life.  Upon  the 
right  are  the  emblems  of  the  University.  There  is  a  vacant 
Founder's  chair,  draped  in  black,  with  the  exception  of  a  medal- 
lion of  Mr.  Cornell  on  the  back,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  wreath 
of  white  natural  flowers,  daisies,  bouvardia,  Chinese  primroses, 
and  other  rare  flowers,  the  wreath  proper  being  principally  smilax. 
The  chair  stands  there  upon  the  stage,  a  sad  reminder  of  the  joy- 
ous commencement  occasions,  when  it  was  occupied  by  the 
founder.  On  the  left  of  the  portrait,  is  a  small  marble-topped 
stand  bearing  a  cross  and  crown,  which  are  offerings  of  the  Kappa 
Alpha  society.  There  are  also  on  this  side  of  the  stage,  several 
bunches  of  cereals,  emblems  of  agriculture,  one  of  the  industries 
promoted  by  the  honored  dead.  The  wall  at  the  back  of  the 
stage  is  completely  covered  with  sombre  drapery  ;  over  the  stage 


312  EZRA    CORNELL. 

i 
doors,  too,  are  the  emblems  of  mourning  ;  also  around  the  front 

to  the  floor,  and  around  the  front  to  the  gallery.  The  plate  upon 
the  lid  of  the  casket  bears  the  inscription,  "  Ezra  Cornell,  died 
December  gth,  1874  ;  aged  67  years,  10  months,  and  28  days."  At 
the  head  of  the  casket  was  placed  a  beautiful  floral  crown  ;  at  the 
foot,  a  floral  cone. 

THE    FUNERAL. 

The  funeral,  which  was  held  at  the  residence,  was  considerably 
delayed  owing  to  the  large  crowds  that  thronged  to  view  the  re- 
mains in  the  hall.  They  were  not  taken  to  the  residence  until 
half  past  one  o'clock,  and  even  then  crowds  and  crowds  had  not 
gained  entrance  to  the  hall.  It  was  intended  to  have  the  funeral 
proper  very  private,  only  admitting  the  near  friends  and  those  offi- 
ciating ;  but  a  great  many  others  had  to  be  present.  There  were 
the  trustees  and  the  professors  of  the  University,  the  trustees  of 
the  Cornell  Library,  the  ministers  of  the  village,  physicians,  and 
many  others — all,  indeed,  that  could  be  accommodated  in  the 
rooms  on  the  first  floor,  and  quite  a  few  were  up-stairs.  The  re- 
mains were  laid  in  a  large  double  parlor  on  the  north,  where  the 
near  relatives  were  gathered.  At  the  head  of  the  coffin  was  hung 
black  drapery,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  seen  a  sheaf  of  wheat 
fully  ripe,  and  over  this  depended  a  wreath  of  laurels.  The  floral 
offerings  were  many  and  beautiful.  Those  conducting  the  services 
had  a  position  in  the  hall,  and  the  trustees,  professors,  and  dis- 
tinguished strangers,  filled  the  south  rooms.  The  services  were 
begun  at  a  quarter  of  two  o'clock  by  Dr.  W.  D.  Wilson,  who  read 
the  impressive  burial  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  beginning, 
"  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life."  Dr.  Stebbins  then  made 
the  following  brief  but  affecting  remarks  and  prayer  : 

"  '  I  heard,'  says  the  revelator,  '  a  voice  from  Heaven  'saying 
unto  me,  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  ;  Yea,  saith 
the  Spirit,  for  they  rest,  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works 
do  follow  them.'  '  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  up- 
right ;  for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace.  He  goeth  to  his  grave 
like  a  shock  of  corn  fully  ripe.'  '  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you, 


FUNERAL   SERVICES.  3U 

and  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you  I  will  come  again  and  re- 
ceive you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.' 

"What  could  I  say  more?  What  is  there  that  we  need  for 
our  comfort  in  this  hour,  dear  bereaved  friends,  but  the  memory 
of  the  life  that  has  closed  ?  What  greater  consolation  can  we  re- 
ceive than  that  these  labors  were  so  excellent,  so  generous,  so 
abundant,  so  marked  with  wisdom  ?  These  labors,  too, — all  not 
finished.  How  many  plans  were  made  so  unselfish,  for  the  good 
of  the  community ;  to  promote  the  excellent  in  every  art,  in  all 
departments  of  life  ;  but  more  than  all,  to  promote  that  mature 
manhood,  that  true  unfolding  of  the  human  soul  through  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Divine  Spirit,  which  gives  to  us  a  perfect  stature 
of  manhood,  as  revealed  to  us  in  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord. 

"  O  !  how  precious  have  been  the  words  of  wisdom  that  have 
fallen  from  these  lips  ;  how  excellent  the  example  of  daily  life ; 
in  purity  of  speech ;  in  manliness  of  deportment ;  in  sobriety  of 
act  everywhere,  bearing  the  burdens  of  great  disappointments 
with  meekness  and  serenity  ;  achieving  great  success  with  the 
same  meekness  and  the  same  calmness,  without  pride  and  with- 
out boasting  ;  and  yet,  ever  rejoicing  in  the  greatness  of  his  manly 
heart  when  God  did  bless  his  endeavors  for  the  good  of  his  fel- 
low men. 

"  O  !  how  precious  to  this  beloved  family  now  is  this  inheri- 
tance of  a  noble  character.  What  a  rich  patrimony  have  you  re- 
ceived !  How  all  your  life  long  you  have  lived  in  the  sunshine 
and  under  the  influence  of  such  excellence  !  O  !  how  should  the 
heart  be  moved  with  gratitude  to  God  that  you  have  been  thus  cul- 
tured ;  that  you  have  thus  been  enabled  to  cherish  the  best  vir- 
tues, and  have  had  ever  before  you  an  example  of  wonderful  use- 
fulness ;  a  life  devoted  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  devoted 
also  to  its  dispersion,  as  the  Great  Giver  of  all  good  delights  in 
scattering  the  riches  of  his  munificence,  rather  than  in  their  accu- 
mulation. Then  when  this  life,  so  rich,  so  full  of  labor,  so  full  of 
plans  yet  to  be  accomplished,  drew  to  its  close,  what  a  serenity 
gathered  around  it !  Those  of  us  who  saw  it,  know  that  he  walked 
as  meekly,  as  calmly,  as  firmly  down  into  the  darkness  of  the 


3H  EZRA    CORNELL. 

shadow  of  death  as  he  had  walked  in  his  daily  life  in  the  streets. 
O,  it  was  well !  The  chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  end 
is  precious  above  all  other  places — one  very  near  the  gate  of 
Heaven.  And  but  one  thing,  dear  beloved  household,  was  nec- 
essary to  make  these  last  hours — of  which  I  would  not  speak  if  we 
were  not  here,  a  sympathizing  company,  to  shed  tears  with  you 
out  of  the  abundance  of  our  grief — but  one  thing  was  wanting,  all 
the  most  loving  heart  could  devise,  the  family  link  was  broken 
by  the  absence  of  one  member  who  was  uninformed  that  the  last 
deep  shadow  was  falling.  But  the  rest,  with  what  love,  and  frater- 
nal and  sisterly  sympathy,  did  they  lift  the  departed  spirit  with 
their  prayers,  to  the  very  threshold  of  the  paternal  house  of  many 
mansions.  And  since  it  must  be  so,  beloved  friends  and  associ- 
ates of  the  deceased,  that  he  must  depart,  how  grateful  should  we 
be  that  our  prayer  was  answered,  that  the  life  might  go  out  as 
sweetly  as  its  lamp  had  burned  serenely  and  steadily  before.  And 
so  this  dear  husband  and  father,  this  true  friend,  of  such  manly 
resolutions,  of  such  grandness  of  purpose,  of  such  firmness  of 
will,  of  such  compactness  of  character,  closed  his  eyes  in  the  last 
sleep  as  serenely  as  his  little  grandchild  was  sleeping  in  the  lap 
of  its  nurse.  For  this  God  be  praised.  We  must  all  depart  some 
time,  and  oh,  how  precious  is  the  memory  of  such  a  death  !  It 
will  be  impressed  upon  my  mind  as  long  as  I  remember  anything, 
and  my  prayer  will  be  most  ardent  that  I  may  die  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  and  that  my  end  may  be  like  his.  So  wish  we  all, 
and  so  let  us  pray." 

Then  followed  a  very  impressive  and  touching  prayer  by  Dr. 
Stebbins. 

As  soon  as  the  prayer  was  closed  the  choir  of  the  Congregational 
church  arose  in  a  group  and  sang  the  chant,  "  Thy  will  be  done," 
with  great  feeling,  adding  much  to  the  beautiful  solemnity  of  the 
occasion.  The  friends  then  viewed  the  remains  for  the  last  time, 
when  the  coffin  was  closed  and  conveyed  to  the  hearse  by  the  pall- 
bearers as  follows  :  John  L.  Whiton,  William  Halsey,  Jacob 
Bates,  Joseph  McGraw,  John  Gauntlett,  T.  D.  Wilcox,  George 
McChain,  Lewis  H.  Culver. 


THE  PROCESSION.  3^5 

The  procession  for  the  cemetery  was  then  formed  in  the  follow- 
ing order  : 

ON   THE   STREET. 

1.  Company  A,  Fiftieth  Battalion,  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y. 

2.  Carriage  with  officiating  clergy. 

3.  Carriage  with  attending  physicians. 

4.  Body-guard  of  Companies  B  and  E,  Corps  of  Cadets  of  Cor- 
nell University. 

5.  Hearse  with  pall-bearers,  followed  by  the  family  and  friends 
in  carriages. 

6.  On  the  flanks  the  body  of  students. 

ON  THE  WEST  SIDE- WALK  OF  TIOGA  STREET,  FACING  NORTH. 

1.  Trustees  of  the  Cornell  Library  Association. 

2.  Trustees  of  Cornell  University. 

3.  Faculty  of  Cornell  University. 

4.  Alumni  of  the  University. 

5.  Trustees  of  Ithaca  Academy,  and  members  of  the  Board  of 
Education. 

6.  Trustees  of  the  Ithaca  Savings  Bank. 

7.  Tompkins  County  Agricultural  Society. 

8.  Employes  of  Mr.  Cornell. 

9.  Delegates  from  abroad. 

10.  Village  Trustees. 

11.  Citizens. 

The  procession  moved  along  Tioga,  Mill,  Linn,  and  University 
Streets,  to  the  cemetery,  where  a  line  of  citizens  and  students  was 
formed  on  each  side  of  the  avenue,  between  which  the  casket  was 
borne,  covered  with  the  floral  offerings,  followed  by  the  family  and 
intimate  friends,  the  crowd  bareing  their  heads  and  bowing  in 
respect.  The  DeWitt  Guard  was  drawn  in  line  at  the  right  of  the 
family  vault,  where  the  remains  were  deposited  at  half  after  three 
o'clock. 


316  EZRA    CORNELL. 

When  the  casket  was  placed  upon  the  bier  at  the  door  of  the 
tomb,  Dr.  Stebbins  solemnly  repeated  the  following  stanza  : 

Unveil  thy  bosom,  faithful  tomb, 
Take  this  new  treasure  to  thy  trust ; 

And  give  the  sacred  relics  room 
To  slumber  in  the  silent  dust. 

After  this  stanza  was  repeated  the  casket  was  placed  in  the 
tomb.  When  the  bearers  withdrew  and  the  family  approached 
and  stood  by  the  door,  Dr.  Stebbins  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  It  is  finished — the  work  of  our  beloved  friend  and  fellow  citi- 
zen is  done  ;  and  we  have  testified  by  our  tears  and  our  sympa- 
thies that  ours  is  now  done  for  him.  May  his  memory  linger  for- 
evermore  in  our  hearts.  Accept,  mourning  fellow  citizens,  the 
gratitude  of  the  bereaved  household  for  this  spontaneous,  abun- 
dant expression  of  your  sympathy  with  them  in  this  hour  of  their 
great  trial,  and  of  your  respect  for  your  fellow  citizen  and  their 
husband,  father,  and  brother. 

"  And  now,  what  wait  we  for  but  that  the  baptism  of  the  Infinite 
Spirit  may  rest  upon  us  and  fill  our  hearts ;  for,  as  Christian  be- 
lievers, we  have  deposited  here  the  earthly  remains  of  our  friend, 
in  perfect  assurance  that  the  spirit  has  returned  to  God  who  gave 
it. 

BENEDICTION. 

"  And  now  may  the  blessing  of  the  Father  Almighty,  through 
Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  so  work  in  all  our  hearts,  and  be  manifested 
in  all  our  lives,  that  we  shall  at  last  be  accepted  in  the  company 
of  the  faithful,  there  to  unite  with  them  in  ascriptions  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the 
Lamb  forever  and  ever.  AMEN." 


The  body  will  remain  in  the  vault  until  its  final  resting  place 
shall  be  prepared  on  the  University  grounds,  where  it  was  the 
wish  of  the  Founder  to  be  buried. 


FAREWELL.  3 1/ 

Thus  have  we  laid  all  that  is  mortal  of  our  honored  friend  in  the 
tomb.  All  that  is  left  to  us  of  the  kind  friend,  the  public-spirited 
citizen,  the  unostentatious  philanthropist  and  public  benefactor, 
whom  we  have  known,  loved,  and  honored  so  long,  and  whom  the 
idea  of  losing  forever  is  as  unspeakably  painful  as  it  is  difficult  to 
fully  realize,  is  his  fragrant  memory — the  inspiration  of  his  noble 
example.  These  may  safely  defy  the  corroding,  remorseless  tooth 
of  time.  The  luminous  pages  whereon  the  world  inscribes  the 
names  of  its  benefactors  whom  it  will  not  suffer  to  die,  will  surely 
be  honored  by  the  name  of  Ezra  Cornell.  Bui  Ithacans  need  no 
such  record.  To  say  nothing  of  the  institution  which  crowns  our 
eastern  hills,  making  them  classic,  our  Ithaca,  so  long  as  it  has  a 
place  and  a  name  among  the  communities  of  men,  will  speak  elo- 
quently of  Ezra  Cornell.  We  know  what  it  was  when  he  found  it. 
We  see  what  it  is  as  he  leaves  it.  We  know  the  millions  he  invest- 
ed in  enterprises,  which  all  saw — none  more  clearly  than  that  sa- 
gacious mind — could  never  bring  direct  profitable  returns,  merely 
because  with  them  present  prosperity  and  future  greatness  were 
assured  to  his  beloved  Ithaca;  without  them,  this  consummation 
he  so  devoutly  wished  must  be  long  delayed,  perhaps,  by  reason 
of  some  other  locality  in  our  vicinity  seizing  the  opportunity  which 
we  neglected,  never  realized.  We  trust  that  others  may  be  found 
competent  to  the  less  difficult  task  of  taking  up  the  work  which 
our  departed  friend's  tired  hands  have  laid  down  forever,  and  of 
conducting  these  enterprises  in  such  a  manner  as  to  realize  his 
cherished  hopes  and  aspirations.  Yes,  a  far  less, difficult  task  than 
was  his  of  originating,  projecting,  and  placing  them  on  sound 
bases.  We  trust  and  believe  that  both  Ithaca  and  the  University 
are  to  be  what  our  departed  friend  designed  that  they  should  be.  But 
however  this  may  be,  the  duty  of  him,  whom  loving  hands  tenderly, 
sadly  deposited  in  his  "narrow  home"  to-day,  was  nobly  done. 
His  is  not  the  fault  if  the  beneficent  plans  and  aims  of  his  life  are 
not  fully  accomplished.  Let  us,  then,  cease  these  repinings,  self- 
ish as  vain.  Look  at  those  thin  hands — oh,  how  thin ;  that 
pinched  face  ;  those  gray  hairs  parted  over  the  care-worn  brow ! 
Who  would  disturb  this  tranquil  rest,  and  call  back  to  the  cares 


318  EZRA    CORNELL. 

of  life  the  weary,  worn,  aged  worker?  Let  us,  rather,  with  resig- 
nation yield  him  to  the  narrow  house  ;  for  there  all  is  rest  and 
peace — peace  ineffable. 

No  baffled  hope  can  haunt,  no  doubt  perplexes, 
No  parted  love  the  deep  repose  can  chafe  ; 
No  petty  care  can  irk,  no  trouble  vexes — 
From  misconstruction  his  hushed  heart  is  safe. 
Freed  from  the  weariness  of  worldly  fretting, 

****** 
He  lies  whose  course  has  passed  away  from  life. 

A  narrow  home,  and  far  beyond  it  lieth 

The  land  whereof  no  mortal  lips  can  tell ; 

We  strain  our  sad  eyes  as  the  spirit  flyeth, 

Our  fancy  loves  on  heaven's  bright  hills  to  dwell — 

God  shuts  the  door,  no  angel  lip  uncloses, 

They  whom  Christ  raised  no  word  of  guidance  said, 

Only  the  cross  speaks  where  our  dust  reposes, 

"  Trust  Him  who  calls  unto  His  rest  our  dead." 


STRANGERS   ATTENDING  THE   FUNERAL. 

A  special  train  arrived  on  the  Cayuga  Lake  Railroad  about 
eleven  o'clock,  bringing  the  following  party  from  Syracuse  :  J.  J. 
Glass,  E.  B.  Judson,  N.  F.  Graves  (mayor),  Giles  Everson,  Ezra 
Downer,  A.  C.  Powell  (ex-mayor),  William  Kirkpatrick  (alder- 
man), E.  E.  Chapman,  Carroll  E.  Smith,  Edgar  E.  Ewers,  G.  B. 
Kent,  M.  H.  Northrup,  Professor  Charles  W.  Bennett,  H.  Cleve- 
land, S.  B.  Gifford,  and  James  Terwilliger. 

From  Aurora  :  E.  B.  Morgan,  H.  A.  Morgan,  A.  C.  Palmer, 
G.  B.  Morgan,  H.  Morgan,  W.  H.  Bogart,  Edward  L.  French, 
Thos.  C.  Strong. 

From  Cayuga  :  J.  R.  Van  Sickle,  J.  A.  Bailey. 

From  Auburn  :  About  the  same  hour  a  special  train  via  the 


NEIGHBORLY  COURTESIES.  3*9 

Southern  Central  and  Cortland  roads  brought  a  party  of  some 
forty  of  the  prominent  men  of  Auburn  to  attend  the  funeral. 
Among  them  were  the  following  :  J.  N.  Knapp,  W.  Hollister,  C.  P. 
Wood,  Henry  Richardson,  Charles  Standart,  George  I.  Lechworth, 
H.  N.  Lockwood,  H.  J.  Sartwell,  O.  F.  Knapp,  J.  T.  M.  Davie, 
David  P.  Wallace,  E.  R.  Fay,  A.  Fitch,  J.  G.  Knapp,  John  E. 
Leonard,  James  Henderson,  E.  G.  Storke,  C.  E.  Swift,  John 
Brainard,  William  Searles,  E.  D.  Jackson,  S.  L.  Bradley,  E.  B. 
Jones,  J.  B.  Richardson,  Charles  G.  Briggs,  M.  L.  Brown,  H. 
Hughes,  G.  Rathbun,  G.  B.  Turner. 

Among  the  strangers  in  attendance  were  George  R.  Dusenberre, 
Fred  W.  Prince,  Langdon  Wheat,  Geneva  ;  General  Steele,  Rom- 
ulus, and  many  others. 

From  J^owanda  :  Robert  A.  Packer,  Colonel  Victor  E.  Piolet, 
Colonel  J.  F.  Means,  James  W.  Ward,  A.  M.  Sanderson,  and  J. 
Robinson. 

PRESS   REPRESENTATIVES. 

The  neighboring  press  was  represented  at  the  obsequies  as  fol- 
lows :  The  Elmira  Advertiser  by  its  city  editor,  A.  Towner  ;  The 
Rochester  Democrat  and  Chronicle  by  its  city  editor,  J.  A. 
Hockstra ;  Mr.  Carroll  E.  Smith,  of  the  Syracuse  'Journal  j  M. 
L.  Northrup,  of  the  Syracuse  Courier. 


RESPECT   FOR  THE  DEAD   IN   SYRACUSE. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  citizens  held  at  Syracuse,  Thursday, 
suitable  resolutions  were  adopted  eulogistic  of  the  late  Ezra 
Cornell.  The  board  of  supervisors  also  passed  memorial  resolu- 
tions. 

A  committee  consisting  of  judges  of  the  county,  city  officers, 
and  twenty-five  leading  citizens  was  appointed  to  attend  the 
funeral. 


320  EZRA    CORNELL. 

IN   AUBURN. 

There  was  a  large  meeting  of  citizens  of  Auburn  in  the  Court 
House,  on  Friday  evening  last,  called  upon  short  notice,  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Ezra  Cornell.  General  John  N.  Knapp 
was  chairman,  and  George  W.  Peck,  secretary.  General  Knapp, 
E.  D.  Johnson,  Hon.  John  L.  Parker,  Hon.  T.  M.  Pomeroy,  Gen- 
eral William  H.  Seward,  Charles  P.  Wood,  and  George  B.  Tur- 
ner made  highly  eulogistic  remarks  in  respect  to  Mr.  Cornell.  A 
series  of  resolutions  was  adopted,  and  a  committee  of  eighty-five 
prominent  citizens  appointed  to  attend  the  funeral,  which  a  large 
number  of  them  did  by  special  train,  over  the  Southern  Central 
Road,  on  Saturday. 


RESOLUTIONS   AT  SYRACUSE   UNIVERSITY. 

The  students  of  Syracuse  University  appointed  a  committee  on 
Friday,  consisting  of  Professor  Bennett,  D.D.,  M.  D.  Buck,  '75, 
G.  Darrow,  '76,  L.  S.  Hutchinson,  '77,  and  G.  W.  Peck,  '78,  who 
framed  appropriate  resolutions  expressive  of  the  feeling  of  the  Uni- 
versity in  regard  to  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Ezra  Cornell. 


DR.  STEBBINS'S  TRIBUTE  TO  MR.  CORNELL. 
[From  the  Ithaca  Daily  Journal,  December  \6th.] 

We  have  obtained  from  Dr.  Stebbins  the  concluding  passage  of 
his  sermon,  Sunday  morning  last,  on  the  Discipline  of  Sorrow,  in 
which  he  pays  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Cornell  : 

"  This  meditation  is  not  inappropriate,  I  trust,  to  the  sorrowful 
solemnities  of  the  past  week.  Symbols  of  mourning  have  hushed 
the  thoughtless  in  our  streets,  and  tears  of  grief  have  been  shed  by 
strong  men  when  they  have  met  each  other  in  their  places  of  busi- 
ness. In  all  our  homes  one  name  has  been  spoken  with  hesitating 
tongue.  Such  a  tribute  is  seldom  paid  to  a  private  citizen,  so 


DR.    STEBBINS'S  DISCOURSE.  321 

spontaneous,  so  sincere,  so  abundant.  All  felt  that  they  had  lost 
a  good  citizen,  a  bountiful  benefactor  of  the  town.  He  was  dis- 
tinguished by  a  sterling  integrity,  on  which  calumny  could  not 
cast  a  shadow,  by  a  marked  manliness  of  character  which  com 
manded  respect,  by  a  persevering  energy  which  no  obstacle  could 
turn  aside,  by  views  so  comprehensive  as  to  be  interested  in  the 
construction  of  a  drain  or  the  founding  of  a  University,  by  an  en- 
terprise so  daring  as  to  think  anything  needed  could  be  obtained. 
He  was  among  the  foremost  in  originating  and  sustaining  all  un- 
dertakings for  the  good  of  the  town,  by  a  liberal  use  of  his  enlarg- 
ing fortune  and  practical  wisdom.  He  was  sensitive  to  his  own 
lack  of  education,  which  his  narrow  opportunities  in  youth  com- 
pelled, and  he  felt  the  importance  of  opening  to  the  people,  and 
especially  to  the  young,  wider  avenues  to  the  sources  of  knowledge. 
To  this  end  he  lavished  his  wealth  without  stint  and  his  strength 
without  measure  in  founding  the  two  institutions  which  will  merit 
the  gratitude  of  posterity  as  well  as  our  own.  Nor  did  he  forget, 
amidst  the  riches  and  honors  of  such  princely  munificence,  the 
wants  of  the  impoverished  and  the  sorrows  of  the  distressed,  but 
many  fires  were  kindled  on  cold  hearths  and  many  destitute  tables 
furnished  with  bread  by  his  quiet,  private  bounty.  How  marked 
his  simplicity  of  life  amidst  abundance  !  How  unassuming  his 
deportment  in  the  midst  of  highest  success  !  How  deep  his  faith 
in  the  capabilities  of  his  fellow-men !  How  calm  when  calumny 
darkened  the  air  around  him  !  How  assured  he  stood  in  the  pan- 
oply of  conscious  integrity  !  And  when  the  overburdened  frame, 
tasked  in  the  great  work  he  had  undertaken  even  beyond  its  en- 
durance, began  to  bend  and  break  under  its  burden,  how  serene 
his  patience  as  life  was  ebbing  away,  and  how  submissive  to  the 
great  Providence  by  which  he  was  called  to  leave  his  plans  unac- 
complished, but  yet  well  begun.  With  what  unobtrusive,  un- 
spoken, but  deep  religious  trust  he  closed  his  days  ;  no  murmur 
passing  his  lips,  no  repining  abiding  in  his  heart.  What  an  ex- 
ample he  has  left  behind  him  as  an  inspiration  to  the  young  of  the 
power  of  industry,  economy,  integrity,  and  benevolence  to  win 
competency  and  honor. 


EZRA    CORNELL. 

"  I  need  say  no  more.  I  hope  and  believe  that  soon  another 
occasion  will  be  given  to  other  lips,  more  capable  than  mine,  to 
truly  and  fully  delineate  before  the  citizens  of  the  town,  a  charac- 
ter so  full  of  richest  instruction.  In  expectation  of  such  a  tribute 
from  other  hands,  I  lay  this  token  (O,  how  poor  !)  of  my  respect 
and  yours  upon  the  grave  of  EZRA  CORNELL." 


OUR  FOUNDER. 
\From  the  Ithaca  Daily  'Journal,  December  \\th.\ 

Our  Founder  is  dead !     And  gone  forth  from  our  halls 

Is  the  sound  of  mourning  and  grief. 
All  hushed  is  our  laughter  ;  all  draped  are  our  walls, 

For  the  hero  whose  life  was  too  brief. 

"Too  brief!"     Ah  no  !     For  ere  he  had  gone, 

Rich  fruit  had  sprung  from  the  seed. 
Seed  which  are  symbolled  in  wood  and  in  stone ; 

Noble  marks  of  his  generous  deed. 

His  body  may  fade,  but  his  works  will  endure 

Through  years  that  are  yet  to  pass  by ; 
For  the  name  of  a  man  so  honest  and  pure 

Will  never  be  suffered  to  die. 

When  we  gather  beside  him,  as  we  stand  at  his  bier, 

Let  us  cherish  this  comforting  thought  : 
That  beyond  the  "  dark  river"  he  had  nothing  to  fear, 

For  his  redemption  was  gloriously  wrought. 

— S.,  of1;;. 


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